NCJ Number
57477
Date Published
1969
Length
14 pages
Annotation
SECURITY FEATURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRINTING OF MONEY, THE PREVENTION OF COUNTERFEITING, AND THE ROLE OF PRINTING INKS USED FOR BANK NOTES IN SAFEGUARDING AGAINST FORGERY ARE ADDRESSED.
Abstract
TWO MAJOR RESOLUTIONS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED AT THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CURRENCY COUNTERFEITING WERE THAT SECURITY MUST COMPLICATE AND HAMPER EFFORTS OF FORGERS AND COUNTERFEITERS, AND QUALITY OF CURRENCY PRODUCTION AND PRINTING INKS MUST BE MAINTAINED. MATERIALS DISTRIBUTED TO CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS DEALT PRIMARILY WITH BANK NOTE PAPER, GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BANK NOTE DESIGN, AND PRINTING PROCESSES. THE PROBLEM OF SPECIAL INKS FOR BANK NOTES, HOWEVER, WAS NOT REALLY VIEWED AS PART OF THE PROTECTION ISSUE OR AS AN ELEMENT OF QUALITY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT BANK NOTES ARE SUBJECT TO NATURAL OR ACCIDENTAL RISKS, FALSIFICATION RISKS, AND FORGERY OR COUNTERFEITING RISKS. NATURAL OR ACCIDENTAL FACTORS THAT CAN IMPAIR BANK NOTES RESULT FROM NOTES BECOMING DIRTY, STAINED, DAMAGED, DISCOLORED, OR TORN. FALSIFICATION IS THE ILLEGAL OPERATION OF MODIFYING OR TRANSFORMING A SMALL VALUE NOTE TO A HIGHER DENOMINATION. FORGERY OR COUNTERFEITING RISKS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN FALSIFICATION AND INVOLVE FORGERS ATTEMPTING TO IMITATE GENUINE BANK NOTES. GENERAL TECHNICAL SAFEGUARDS FOR BANK NOTES INCLUDE, CURRENCY PAPER THAT OFFERS EXCELLENT RESISTANCE IN DAILY USE AND THAT RESISTS MECHANICAL ACTIONS, HUMIDITY, PERSPIRATION, DIRT, LIGHT, AND CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL ACTIONS; CURRENCY THAT IS EASILY ADAPTED TO DIFFERENT PRINTING PROCESSES; INCORPORATION OF VISIBLE, SEMISECRET, OR SECRET SAFETY MEASURES IN PAPER, SUCH AS WATER MARKS, FLUORESCENT FIBERS, AND METAL OR PLASTIC SECURITY THREADS; AND CHARACTERISTIC STRUCTURE OF BANK NOTES THAT IS ACHIEVED BY THE COMBINATION OF MONOCHROME OR POLYCHROME TINTS, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE GUILLOCHES, MEDALLIONS, THE BANK INSTITUTION, DATES, SIGNATURES, AND NUMERICAL DATA. THE PROTECTION OF BANK NOTES ENCOMPASSES THE RESISTANCE OF SECURITY INKS TO NATURAL OR ACCIDENTAL RISKS, THE PROTECTION PLAYED BY INKS IN THE CASE OF FALSIFICATION, THE RESISTANCE OF SECURITY INKS TO FORGERY, AND CONTROL OVER THE QUALITY OF INKS INCLUDING COLORIMETRIC CONTROL, CONTROL OF RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES, CONTROL OF PHYSICAL RESISTANCE, AND CONTROL OF CHEMICAL RESISTANCE. PROCEDURES FOR ASSURING THESE CONTROLS ARE DESCRIBED. (DEP)