Below we show you the best methods to know if a bill is fake or not. And according to statistics, the 20 euro and 50 euro bills are the ones that are falsified the most, entering the market and causing headaches for those who come across them and don't know what to do with them. So much so, that the European Central Bank (ECB) invests increasingly in measures of security more ambitious to try to put an end to counterfeits; and for a counterfeit bill to reach our hands is rare, but it can always happen. Therefore, we show you the best tricks to check if a euro bill is fake.
How to tell if a euro bill is fake
Index of contents
- How to know if a 50 euro bill is fake
- How to know if a bill is fake
- How counterfeit bill detectors work
- What to do when detecting a counterfeit bill
As pointed out by Eurosystem, the institution formed by the European Central Bank and other central banks, the 20 euro and 50 euro banknotes are the most counterfeited, so citizens must be very careful when handling bills to try to detect them. Luckily, many shops, banks and other businesses have counterfeit bill detectors, although counterfeits also continue to improve and are increasingly difficult to detect. Follow the following Recommendations to detect fake euro bills.
How to know if a 50 euro bill is fake
As we say, 50 euro bills are the most counterfeited along with 20 euro bills. If you want to know if a 50 euro bill is fake or not, you must look at a feature implemented in the new 50 euro banknotes in circulation since 2017. And this year's new bills include a window with a portrait of the Goddess Europe, a detail visible on both sides of the bill and which is practically impossible to counterfeit.
How to know if a bill is fake
Beyond this unique characteristic of the 50 euro bill, there are a series of characteristics and actions that can reveal that a bill is counterfeit. Thus, and returning to the new 50 euro bills, the hologram of the Goddess Europa becomes transparent when viewed against the light, in addition to another security measure focused on a emerald green number which changes to dark blue when tilted. Thanks to these two measurements, a bill can be identified as true or false.
Another measure that can tell us if a bill is fake or not is the feel of the paper itself. And if you learn to identify bills by touch, you will realize that real bills have a very particular feel, with a firm and resistant texture. This characteristic is very common when identifying fake or real bills, since knowing how to identify the feel of the bills can give us many clues.
Visually it is also possible to identify certain elements that can tell us if a bill is true or false; this is the case of the so-called security thread, a very fine line located in the center of the banknotes and on which you can see the euro symbol, in addition to the value of the banknote. Another differentiating visual element are the watermarks printed on banknotes, a series of holographs that produce a series of metallic reflections by turning a bill from one side to the other and looking closely.
How counterfeit bill detectors work
Finally, we must mention the counterfeit bill detectors, machines that are found in numerous stores and businesses of all kinds and that help the seller to quickly detect if a bill is counterfeit or not. Depending on the type of device, it works in one way or another, either detecting the ultraviolet ink used in the printing of real banknotes or infrared inks.
Other detectors are even capable of measure the size and thickness of bills, since real bills have very specific measurements and are not always obtained in counterfeit copies. Although the most widespread and fastest method is through specific markers for detecting counterfeit bills. Thus, if you paint a line with this type of marker on an authentic bill, nothing is painted; On the other hand, if it is painted on a counterfeit bill, the line will be drawn, thus revealing that these bills are fake.
What to do when detecting a counterfeit bill
If for one reason or another you come across a counterfeit bill (or several), the Bank of Spainrecommends notifying your own officials of the Bank of Spain, as well as the authorities, so that they can more easily follow the trail of said counterfeit bills.
Now you know the best tricks to detect counterfeit bills and what to do if you find one.
