Facts & Features
Interesting Paper Money Facts
While paper currencies vary across time, denomination,
and issuer, there are several common characteristics used
to distinguish notes from one another. Please use the following
Quick Links to learn more:
Distinguishing Traits of Atlantic Collection
Notes
Recent Fraud Protection Innovations in Currency
Interesting Facts about US Currency
Distinguishing Traits
of Atlantic Collection Notes
The following features can easily be located
on any large sized notes of the Atlantic Collection.
They can also be found on other notes from the United States
and around the world.
Background
Adding to eye appeal and difficulty to duplicate, the colored
background of a note serves a dual purpose.
Denomination
Whether in dollars, pesos, or yen, the denomination of
the note determines whether one can receive a steak dinner
or a hamburger (or maybe not even a soda these days).
Issue Date
In most countries, the date of issue usually includes the
day and month. In the United States, however, it only features
the year of the last major design change. For example, the
Atlantic Collection note shown in the Note
Gallery section was printed and issued several years
after its Series of 1880 date might indicate. We know this
by the signatures on the note and the dates those persons
held office.
Issuing Authority
The Issuing Authority is the department or business that
issues the currency. Today in the United States it is the
Federal Reserve although that agency did not exist in the
19th Century. The United States government served as the
Issuing Authority for the notes of the Atlantic Collection.
Portrait
Often nations feature their political leaders or royal
dignitaries on their currency. Just as Daniel Webster and
Pocahontas grace the Atlantic Collection note shown in the
Note Gallery section, Andrew
Jackson is featured on our $20 bills today.
Serial Number
Perhaps the oldest security feature of paper currency,
this set of numbers allows close tracking of bills.
Signatures
The signatures of persons in position of authority legitimize
currency. In times of yore, paper notes did not achieve
legal tender status after printing until they were signed
individually. The Atlantic Collection note shown in the
Note Gallery section features
the signatures of the Treasurer and Register of the Treasury
at the time.
Recent Fraud Protection
Innovations in Currency
Color Shifting Ink
A recent innovation in the currency world, the ink in some
notes shifts color depending on the angle from which it
is viewed. First issued in the United States in larger denominations
in the 1990s, the denomination numerals in the lower-right
corner on the obverse change from copper to green when the
note is tilted.
Holograms
Recently, some countries have included a hologram on some
of their currency, creating a beautiful bill that cannot
easily be forged.
Microprint
Very tiny print adorns all legal tender paper notes in
the United States today. Barely distinguishable with the
naked eye, magnification is required to read letters printed
into our designs.
Threads
Today, some paper bills have either a larger metallic,
or smaller colored threads woven into the paper.
Ultra-Violet (UV) Ink
In an effort to foil counterfeiting, UV ink is printed
over an area already featuring standard printing. This ink
is only visible in special lighting.
Watermark
This security device is meant to discourage counterfeiters.
Placed onto the paper before printing, watermarks appear
in blank spots on the bill and are visible when held up
to the light.
Interesting Facts about
U.S. Currency
The Treasury Seal has appeared on every single piece of
American currency since 1862. Although it is featured in
several different forms and colors, the seal contains the
Scales of Justice and a key representing authority. Thirteen
stars (one for each of the original colonies) separate the
two.
The signatures of two Treasury officials adorn each legal
tender design in American paper currency history, with the
exception of the first two fractional (less than $1) designs.
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