Counterfeit United States currency
Encyclopedia
Counterfeit
ing of the currency of the United States is widely attempted. According to the United States Department of Treasury, an estimated 70 million counterfeit dollars are believed to be in circulation, or approximately $1 in counterfeits for every $12,500 in genuine currency.
was stolen by a criminal, with possible links to al-Qaeda
, and the plate was used to produce the counterfeit bills.
in the UK
.
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
ing of the currency of the United States is widely attempted. According to the United States Department of Treasury, an estimated 70 million counterfeit dollars are believed to be in circulation, or approximately $1 in counterfeits for every $12,500 in genuine currency.
Historical examples
There are several famous examples of counterfeit dollar notes in history. Among them:2005: Peru 2001 CB-B2 series $100 bill, issued 2001
In 2005, Peruvian Banks ceased to accept $100 bills from the series CB-B2, issued in 2001. The Peruvian media reported that the notes were so well made that they were "perfect fakes." The differences between them and genuine bills are very small and difficult to detect. According to Peruvian news reports, a printing plate from the U.S. mintUnited States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
was stolen by a criminal, with possible links to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, and the plate was used to produce the counterfeit bills.
2005: Operation Gait $100 bills
Bills forged by Anatasios ArnaoutiAnatasios Arnaouti
Anatasios Arnaouti is a criminal from Manchester, England who led one of the most ambitious ever forgery operations before being jailed in 2005....
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
See also
- CounterfeitCounterfeitTo counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
- Fake denominations of United States CurrencyFake denominations of United States currencyFake denominations of United States currency have been created by individuals as practical joke and do not assert that they are legal tender. The bills often have images of their enemies or other people. The bills usually have "THIS IS NOT LEGAL TENDER FOR ANY DEBTS, THE PUBLIC, OR PRIVATE"...
- SuperdollarSuperdollarA superdollar or superbill is a very high quality counterfeit United States one hundred-dollar bill, alleged by the U.S. Government to have been made by an unknown organization or government. Various groups have been suspected of creating such notes, and international opinion on the origin of the...
External links
- Article by the Christian Science Monitor: "Made in South America: new breed of fake US dollars" Thu Apr 14, 4:00 AM ET
- "The Use and Counterfeiting of United States Currency Abroad" United States Department of Treasury
- Estimating the Volume of Counterfeit U.S. Currency in Circulation Worldwide: Data and Extrapolation. By Ruth Judson and Richard Porter, 1 March 2010.