Greenwich Police alert the public to beware of counterfeit money. Can you spot counterfeit US currency? Real US bills will have color shifting ink, a watermark of the US President on the bill, UV strip embedded in the bill and there will be blue and red fibers in the paper.
2004 style Federal Reserve notes incorporate background colors and large, borderless portrait images.
Paper U.S. currency paper consists of 25% linen and 75%cotton and contains small randomly disbursed red and blue security fibers embedded throughout the paper.
Portrait The 2004 style Federal Reserve notes have an enlarged and off-center portrait without a frame.
1.Watermark The 2004 style Federal Reserve notes have a watermark that is visible from either side when held to light.
2. Color-Shifting Ink The 2004 style $10, $20, $50 and $100
Federal Reserve notes have color-shifting ink that shifts from copper to green as the note is tilted 45 degrees. The 2004 style $100 FRN has a
color- shifting “Bell in the Inkwell”. The $5 FRN does not have
color-shifting ink.
3. Security Thread All genuine FRNs, except the $1 and $2, have a clear thread embedded vertically in the paper. The thread is inscribed with the denomination of the note and is visible only when held to light. Each denomination has a unique thread position and glows a different color when held to ultraviolet (UV) light.
4. 3-D Security Ribbon The 2004 style $100 Federal Reserve notes features a blue ribbon woven into the paper. When you tilt the note back and forth, the bells and “100”s move side to side. If you tilt the note side to side, they move up and down.
5. Serial Numbers The first letter of the serial number on Federal Reserve notes of series year 1996 or later corresponds to the series year.
E = 2004 I = 2006
L = 2009A
G = 2004A J = 2009
Bank Indicators
6. Federal Reserve Indicators The 2004 style FRNs have a letter and number designation, which identifies one of the 12 distributing Federal Reserve Banks. This letter and number designation appears beneath the serial number on the left. The number corresponds to the position of the letter in the alphabet, e.g.: A1, B2, C3, etc. The letter matches the second prefix letter in the serial number.
7. Note Position Letter and Number
8. Face Plate Number
9. Series Year
10 Back Plate Number (Not shown) Found on the bottom right-hand corner of the back of the note.
See the Know Your Money website for more information.
https://www.secretservice.gov/data/KnowYourMoney.pdf