“Counterfeiting, A Three-Part Series.” Part 3: Modern anti-counterfeiting measures

*This article is the last in a three-part series on counterfeiting. Read the first two articles in the series: Part 1, Part 2

Anti-counterfeiting technology in and on banknotes has been evolved more over the past 30 years than it has in the entire history of money.
Today’s banknotes are not just used as currency; they are [...]

Indian charity issues zero rupee banknotes

Fifth Pillar, an Indian charity that confronts corrupt officials, has issued a zero banknote as a way to protest ongoing bribery and extortion in the country.
The notes have no value, but look identical to Indian banknotes and carry the slogans “Eliminate corruption at all levels” and the pledge “I promise to neither accept nor give [...]

FORTRESS PAPER ANNOUNCES APPROVAL OF INITIAL FINANCING FACILITY FOR PM1 REBUILD

Fortress Paper Ltd. (www.fortresspaper.com) announces the signing by its wholly‑owned subsidiary Dresden Papier GmbH (“Dresden”) of a factoring agreement of Dresden’s accounts receivables with GE Capital Bank AG (“GE”) in connection with the rebuild of PM1 into a banknote machine. The factoring facility is for up to EUR 12 Million (CDN $17.8M) commencing February 2, [...]

REPORT ON BUSINESS: “Turning paper into cash”

Fortress Paper was covered today in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. Dave Morris reports on Fortress Paper:
At a 125-year-old factory in the shadow of the Swiss Alps, veteran watchmakers, trusted for their keen attention to detail, pore over the drums that will embed detailed watermarks into pristine sheets of paper stock. But not [...]

Iran follows in North Korea’s footsteps, plans to redenominate currency

A little over a month after the turmoil caused in North Korea by the redenomination of their currency (read: North Korea Changes Currency and Rates 100 to 1), Iran has also announced a similar plan.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the country would “remove zeros from its national currency, the rial, in order to make [...]

“Counterfeiting, A Three-Part Series.” Part 1: A history of counterfeiting

*This article is the first in a three-part series on counterfeiting.
The act of counterfeiting is as old as money itself. Plaguing ancient Rome, empirical China, newborn America, and many other nations over the past 2500 years, the illegal activity came hand in hand with the creation of money.
Even prior to the invention of coin [...]

ECB: Counterfeit euros up 8 per cent

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced today that the number of fake euro banknotes seized in the last six months rose by eight per cent from the first half of the year.
“In the second half of 2009 a total of 447,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation,” an ECB statement said.
Though the increase is [...]

Estonia to adopt euro “in the first half of 2010”

The European Union (EU) is set to introduce Estonia into the folds of the euro zone by mid-summer 2010.
Marek Belka, the International Monetary Fund’s head for Europe revealed last week that Estonia is on track to fully adopt the single currency.
“I hope and I think there is a high likelihood that the EU will give [...]

Gulf States Will Launch Their Own Currency, The ‘Gulfo’

Four Arab states of the Persian Gulf have agreed to launch a new, singular currency in an effort to create an Arab monetary union.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar will begin the first phase of the new currency next year, creating a Gulf Monetary Council that will become a full-fledged central bank.
The United Arab Emirates [...]

Central Bank of the Bahamas Introduces New $100 Banknote

This week the Central Bank of the Bahamas (CBB) introduced a new purple, blue, green & mauve $100 banknote into circulation bearing a picture of Queen Elizabeth II on the front and a blue marlin on the back. But colour and images aren’t the only changes that have been made.
The new $100 banknote [...]