Counterfeit Money, First Brush With It

2x $20 bills.

They came in through an anonymous channel.

When I first picked them up, I got a funny feeling about them. I never even thought of them being counterfeit. I just though they were highly worn, and maybe water damaged.

The color was off, lots of purple showing. And the paper was really soft.

But others were certain they were counterfeit. They spotted them at once. They also tested them with one of those pens.

They said to turn them in to police. I offered that they take them or that they witness my destroying them. They declined.

I consulted with my personal security expert. He said the bills were obvious. Slightly too small, irregular borders, and paper just wrong.

He said I could turn them into a bank. And he said that in large retail chains they just forward them to their own bank.

I am told that real money has paper with no acid, hence the test pen mark turns to gold and then just vanishes.

Real money can go through the washer and drier 3 times and still hold together.

Fake money ages very quickly, whereas real money lasts a long time.

So I walked into a bank, one I do not use, and I turned them in. They were happy to accept them and did not ask questions, make any report, or ask me my name.

I bet strippers are the experts in spotting fake money.

SJG