Central banks are responsible for issuing a country’s legal tenderMoney that is legally valid for the payment of debts and must be accepted for that purpose when offered. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered (“tendered”) in payment of a debt extinguishes the debt. There is no obligation on the creditor to accept the tendered payment, but the act of tendering the payment in legal tender discharges the debt. More, but most importantly, to maintain consumers’ trust in their currencyThe money used in a particular country at a particular time, like dollar, yen, euro, etc., consisting of banknotes and coins, that does not require endorsement as a medium of exchange. More by effectively protecting it against counterfeiters. To do so, issuing authorities rely on key players of security printing: from security substrateThe physical media or support on which the image is printed, such as paper, polymer or hybrid, etc. More and elements providers, to chemists and physicians specialised in colour-shifting and optical illusion inks. As a result, an average banknoteA banknote (or ‘bill’ as it is often referred to in the US) is a type of negotiable promissory note, issued by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand. More now contains about 20 different security elements making these valuable pieces of paperSee Banknote paper. More extremely difficult to imitate.
In the United States, the US dollarMonetary unit of the United States of America, and a number of other countries e.g. Australia, Canada and New Zealand. More is printed by the US Bureau of EngravingMarking with incision or etching an intaglio printing plate to create a design which will be transferred on the paper or another substrate during the printing. More and Printing. The special paper made of cotton and linen fibresA banknote security feature incorporated randomly during the manufacture of the paper. The fibres can be made of silk, plastic or metal, and may be visible, invisible, or fluorescent under UV light. More is provided by Crane Currency, which also supplies complex security features. Its motion technology, for instance, uses one million microscopic lenses to magnify images and create a movement effect in 3 dimensions. Crane’s innovation is present on more than 100 denominations worldwide, including the most recent $100 released in 2013. For this note, motion’s visual illusion appears on a blue security threadPlastic, metal or other material, incorporated into the paper sheet during its manufacturing process, fully or intermittently. A window thread appears on the paper’s surface at defined points, and is partially visible, however, in transmitted light appears across the entire length of the note. The thread may be able to contain any of the following: visible or machine-readable codes, microprinted or mini-printed text in positive or negative, or display of fluorescent, iridescent, holographic or... More next to Benjamin Franklin’s head. When the note is tilted, the representation of the Liberty Bell changes into the numeral 100. In addition, the thread appears to glide up and down when the note is titled left and right, and vice-versa.
The motion thread is only one of many security features that appear on the latest $100 bill. Indeed, the US’s highest denominationEach individual value in a series of banknotes or coins. More also contains hidden elements that can be seen only under UVAbbreviation for ultraviolet. More light, as well as colour-shifting inks and micro-lettering, among others. These sophisticated elements are used to protect banknotes against fraudsters, which usually fail to reproduce such technologies. Len Olijar – Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing – explains that the latest banknotes also contain security features that are invisible to the human eye but which are machine-readable, enabling a swift and automated authenticationThe process of proving that a banknote or security document is genuine. More process. He adds that banknote paperThe most widely used banknote substrate throughout history, usually made from cotton, of short fibres, which give a banknote special characteristics of touch, sound and firmness. It can include other fibres of different origins. More is a security feature in itself as its distinctive feel can be immediately recognized by consumers.
To read the original article, please click here.