A counterfeit banknote detection pen is a pen used to apply an iodine-based ink to banknotes in an attempt to determine their authenticity. The ink reacts with starch in wood-based paper to create a black or blue mark but the paper in a real bill contains no starch, so the pen mark remains unchanged.
A Counterfeit banknote detection pen, used to detect fake banknotes.
Counterfeit banknote detection pens are used to detect counterfeitSwiss franc, euro and United States banknotes, amongst others. Typically, genuine banknotes are printed on paper based on cotton fibers and do not contain the starches that are reactive with iodine. When the pen is used to mark genuine bills, the mark is yellowish or colourless.
Such pens are most effective against counterfeit notes printed on a standard printer or photocopier paper.[1] The chemical properties of US banknotes printed before 1960 make marking pens useless, resulting in false positives.[2] One example of this complication taking place happened in 2016, in which a 13 year-old student was arrested by police after she attempted to pay for lunch with a red seal Series 1953 $2 bill after the school's counterfeit pen was unable to prove its authenticity.[3]
ReceptionEdit
Pen manufacturers claim such pens will detect a great majority of counterfeit bills and are an easy counterfeit detection method that does not require expensive gadgets.[citation needed]
Critical receptionEdit
Critics suggest the effectiveness is much lower. Critics claim that professional counterfeiters use starch-free paper, making the pen unable to detect the majority of counterfeit money in circulation.[4] Magician and skeptic James Randi has written about the ineffectiveness of counterfeit pens on numerous occasions[5][6] and uses a pen as an example during his lectures.[7] Randi claims to have contacted a United States Secret Service inspector and asked whether the pen works as advertised, to which the inspector replied "it is not dependable."[5] The Secret Service does not include such pens in their guidelines for the public's detection of counterfeit US currency.[8]
US counterfeiters bleach small denominations and print more valuable bills on the resulting blank paper to evade this test,[9] although changes to the currency since 2004 have made this method easier to detect. This is one reason that many currencies use different sized notes for different denominations.
False positivesEdit
The effectiveness of the pens may be affected by external methods. Simply having a banknote pass through laundry, depending on the soaps and bleaches used, can cause a bill to fail the test when it is otherwise accepted. Additionally, it was discovered that treating a counterfeit note with a dilute solution of vitamin C will cause a false negative: that is, it will respond to the iodine-based ink as though it were made of the same paper as a valid banknote.[10]
^"How does a counterfeit detector pen work? 123". HowStuffWorks. April 2000. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
^"OLD PAPER MONEY AND COUNTERFEIT-DETECTING PENS". The E-Sylum. December 9, 2007.
^"Lunchroom Lunacy: ISD cops investigate $2 bill spent on school lunch". abc13.com. 29 April 2016. Retrieved Jul 15, 2019.
^Shermer, Michael (January 2004). "Bunkum!". Scientific American. 290 (1): 36. Bibcode:2004SciAm.290a..36S. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0104-36. Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2008-03-28. Alt URL
^Swallow, Natalie (2008-03-12). . Springfield, Missouri: KSPR. Archived from the original on 2008-04-05. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
^Abdullah Beydoun (20 July 2017). "How do Counterfeit Pen Tests Work?". Banknote World Resource Hub.
August 29, 2023
counterfeit, banknote, detection, counterfeit, banknote, detection, used, apply, iodine, based, banknotes, attempt, determine, their, authenticity, reacts, with, starch, wood, based, paper, create, black, blue, mark, paper, real, bill, contains, starch, mark, . A counterfeit banknote detection pen is a pen used to apply an iodine based ink to banknotes in an attempt to determine their authenticity The ink reacts with starch in wood based paper to create a black or blue mark but the paper in a real bill contains no starch so the pen mark remains unchanged A Counterfeit banknote detection pen used to detect fake banknotes Contents 1 Background 2 Reception 2 1 Critical reception 2 1 1 False positives 3 See also 4 ReferencesBackground EditCounterfeit banknote detection pens are used to detect counterfeit Swiss franc euro and United States banknotes amongst others Typically genuine banknotes are printed on paper based on cotton fibers and do not contain the starches that are reactive with iodine When the pen is used to mark genuine bills the mark is yellowish or colourless Such pens are most effective against counterfeit notes printed on a standard printer or photocopier paper 1 The chemical properties of US banknotes printed before 1960 make marking pens useless resulting in false positives 2 One example of this complication taking place happened in 2016 in which a 13 year old student was arrested by police after she attempted to pay for lunch with a red seal Series 1953 2 bill after the school s counterfeit pen was unable to prove its authenticity 3 Reception EditPen manufacturers claim such pens will detect a great majority of counterfeit bills and are an easy counterfeit detection method that does not require expensive gadgets citation needed Critical reception Edit Critics suggest the effectiveness is much lower Critics claim that professional counterfeiters use starch free paper making the pen unable to detect the majority of counterfeit money in circulation 4 Magician and skeptic James Randi has written about the ineffectiveness of counterfeit pens on numerous occasions 5 6 and uses a pen as an example during his lectures 7 Randi claims to have contacted a United States Secret Service inspector and asked whether the pen works as advertised to which the inspector replied it is not dependable 5 The Secret Service does not include such pens in their guidelines for the public s detection of counterfeit US currency 8 US counterfeiters bleach small denominations and print more valuable bills on the resulting blank paper to evade this test 9 although changes to the currency since 2004 have made this method easier to detect This is one reason that many currencies use different sized notes for different denominations False positives Edit The effectiveness of the pens may be affected by external methods Simply having a banknote pass through laundry depending on the soaps and bleaches used can cause a bill to fail the test when it is otherwise accepted Additionally it was discovered that treating a counterfeit note with a dilute solution of vitamin C will cause a false negative that is it will respond to the iodine based ink as though it were made of the same paper as a valid banknote 10 See also EditList of pen types brands and companiesReferences Edit How does a counterfeit detector pen work 123 HowStuffWorks April 2000 Retrieved 2008 03 28 OLD PAPER MONEY AND COUNTERFEIT DETECTING PENS The E Sylum December 9 2007 Lunchroom Lunacy ISD cops investigate 2 bill spent on school lunch abc13 com 29 April 2016 Retrieved Jul 15 2019 Shermer Michael January 2004 Bunkum Scientific American 290 1 36 Bibcode 2004SciAm 290a 36S doi 10 1038 scientificamerican0104 36 Archived from the original on 2013 02 02 Retrieved 2008 03 28 Alt URL a b Randi James 2004 12 03 Commentary Swift James Randi Educational Foundation Retrieved 2008 03 28 Randi James 2005 07 01 Commentary Swift James Randi Educational Foundation Retrieved 2008 03 28 Rowley Erin 2008 03 27 Paranormal skeptic addresses crowd The Daily Collegian Retrieved 2008 03 28 Know Your Money Counterfeit Awareness United States Secret Service Archived from the original on 2007 10 23 Retrieved 2007 11 06 Swallow Natalie 2008 03 12 Businesses Lose out on Counterfeit Money Springfield Missouri KSPR Archived from the original on 2008 04 05 Retrieved 2008 03 28 Abdullah Beydoun 20 July 2017 How do Counterfeit Pen Tests Work Banknote World Resource Hub Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Counterfeit banknote detection pen amp oldid 1165695670, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
