Foreign Currency – Avoid Fake Currency
We’ve all heard horror holiday stories about fake currency being given as change, but once this type of currency is in circulation, it could turn up anywhere. When you buy foreign currency, you naturally assume that you’re getting the real deal, but you should always check your currency when you receive it, to make sure you are comfortable with the quality.
Spotting Fake Foreign Currency
We’re all pretty sure we’d know how to spot fake sterling notes, and similar principles apply to most other types of foreign currency. Remember to check coins as well as notes, because plenty of money can be made by putting fake coins into the market. Check your currency when it arrives and whenever you get change given to you overseas. New currencies, like the Euro, are supposedly very difficult to counterfeit, but that won’t stop people having a go, and if you don’t check your cash, all the security measures in the world are worthless:
• The look and feel – notes that look and feel different to the rest of your currency may be suspect. This doesn’t mean the notes that are a bit crumpled or older than the rest, but those that look artificially shiny, or feel too light or too heavy to the touch. Check the size as well – notes are regulation size so any note that isn’t exactly the same size as others of the same denomination may be a fake.
• Security marks – every note will have a variety of security marks and these will vary between one foreign currency and another. Look for security threads that run the width or length of the note, which usually has the value of the note printed on top. Also check out watermarks, which can be seen when you hold the note up to the light. Many notes are printed with seemingly useless patterns on both sides of the note, but when the note is held up to the light, those patterns merge to form the name of the issuer, the type of currency or the value of the note. For US dollars, the security strips glow different colours for each denomination when held up to the light. $5 – blue; $10 – orange; $20 – green; $50 – yellow; $100 – red.
• Holograms – it’s common for currency to use holograms as security marks. These will change image or colour when you tip the note forwards and backwards in the light. For the Euro, for example, the image will change between the Euro - € - sign and the value of the note, and Canadian dollars use the country’s maple leaf symbol.
Buy Foreign Currency from Crown Currency Exchange
Buying your foreign currency from a reputable dealer will help you to reduce the risk of receiving fake currency. We sell currency at competitive exchange rates, with zero commission and delivered to your front door. We believe in giving you the best possible service, whether you order online, or call us on 0800 612 7273 to order over the phone.
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