In Argentina, banks readily accept the oldest dollar bills, known as the "cara chica". But many people in recent years began to reject them. Not only because in the "blue" market they are taken at a lower price, but because of the greater risk of receiving a false one without noticing it in time.
The dollars in question are those issued during most of the twentieth century, between 1914 and 1996. And especially those prior to 1990. They are known as "small head" because the face of the hero in the front (Benjamin Franklin in the US $ 100) appears smaller than in the later series.
In a recent statement, the Federal Reserve Board, which is the issuing authority for the US dollar (equivalent to the Argentine Central Bank against the peso), once again confirmed its historic stance that all dollars printed "from 1914 to date" remain in circulation normally.
"It is the policy of the U.S. government that all designs of Federal Reserve notes retain their legal value and validity for making payments, regardless of when they were printed," reads the text, released online by the U.S. Currency Education Program.
However, in that same letter the authorities explained that older designs have been redesigned "mainly to facilitate their use, but also to make counterfeiting more difficult." Which implied admitting -indirectly- that the old series are easier to counterfeit.
Over the years the banknote was changing design and becoming more secure, from the "small face" to the current bluish. Photo: USCurrency.gov.
Dollar "small face": the security measures it has and the several that it lacks
"This does not mean that banknotes of previous designs are not secure," the U.S. government said in its latest statement.
But the truth is that the "small faces" lack several key security features that were added in 1996 and in 2013, and that made the current banknotes more difficult to be replicated with convincing quality.
The series prior to 1996, for example, do not have the watermark that does appear -looking against the light- both in the "medium face" (1996-2013) and in the "large face" (issued since 2013).
The "small face" also do not have elements that change color when the paper is tilted (such as the number "100" and the bell in the inkwell) or the 3D security band that characterizes the current bluish design.
How to determine, then, whether a dollar issued between 1914 and 1996 is authentic? What should be observed?
First, the Federal Reserve advises knowing each design in detail, with all its elements, as shown in uscurrency.gov. And then, there are two signs of authenticity that can be found in all the older series:
-
Security fibers. Legitimate banknotes always have red and blue fibrites inserted and distributed throughout the paper.
-
Embossed printing. When you run your finger over the surface of the note, you should feel that it is not soft or slippery, but has a distinctive texture with some somewhat protruding parts.
Old or new, dollars have a distinctive texture perceptible to the touch. Photo: EFE.
On the other hand, only in the "small face" dollars printed since 1990 (not in the previous ones), it is also possible to identify:
-
The security thread. It is to the left of the portrait, embedded vertically. It becomes visible when you raise the banknote and observe it with white light behind. Inside the thread you should say several times "USA" and "100"; and under ultraviolet light, turn pink.
-
Microprinting. When looking at the banknote up close or with a magnifying glass, on the oval frame of the portrait it must be possible to read clearly, and in very small print, the legend "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA".
If those characteristics are not there, it is most likely that the analyzed banknote is an apocryphal replica without any value.
Cash Assist: how to use the official app that helps you detect counterfeit dollars
The U.S. Federal Reserve has developed a mobile app aimed at simplifying the detection of counterfeit dollars. It is called Cash Assist and is available for download on both Android phones (from here) and Iphones (from here).
For now, it's only in English. But its use is quite intuitive and it can be helpful to have it on hand when a ticket raises doubts.
And, using the camera and sensors of the device, the app instantly informs what are the key security measures of the type of ticket in front of you and teaches in a very graphic way how to check them.
Cash assist, the official app that helps detect counterfeit dollars. Image: USCurrency.gov.
The application has two basic functions, which are:
-
Naming detector. The cell phone camera is pointed at the ticket and the app detects, instantly, how much it is worth and to which series it belongs. Then it informs everything that needs to be checked to confirm if it is authentic.
-
Tilt simulator. In this section the app shows how the security measures of each ticket work when it moves. Thus, when tilting the phone back and forth, you will see on a virtual ticket the changes that should occur in the real ticket before the same movements.
"Anyone can use the app to stay up-to-date on the latest security features of the U.S. currency," they note. Although they also warn: "Please note that Cash Assist does not identify counterfeits for you."
MDG
See also
