Though UV counterfeit detection lamps and counterfeit money pens are helpful tools, there are many other ways to tell if a bill is authentic or counterfeit.

Physical characteristics of the banknote, such as ink, watermarks, and text, are intentional security measures to help people recognize authentic money.When retail associates learn how to spot a fake $100 bill, they can help reduce the chances of a business suffering a loss of thousands of dollars.

If you hold a new series bill (except for the new $5 bill) and tilt it back and forth, you can see that the numeral in the lower right-hand corner shifts from green to black or from gold to green.- Sponsors - Watermark The watermark is a characteristic security feature of authentic banknotes.

Sometimes counterfeits bleach lower bills and reprint them with higher values, in which case the face wouldn’t match the watermark.

Authentic bills are made using die-cut printing plates that create impressively fine lines, so they look extremely detailed.

The security thread on authentic bills glow under ultraviolet light in the following colors: • $5 bill glows blue • $10 bill glows orange • $20 bill glows green • $50 bill glows yellow • $100 bill glows red/pink Red and Blue Threads If you take a close look at an authentic banknote, you can see that there are very small red and blue threads woven into the fabric of the bill.