Although there are not many notes in circulation in the EU that are counterfeit, it is still important to be aware of it. Banks do not offer compensation if you have become the victim of somebody paying you with counterfeit notes. That is why it is up to you to identify if it’s counterfeit and educate your staff on how to tell if it is counterfeit also. We will just be referring to the first series of Euro notes in this post, the new Europa series will be mentioned in a later post.
1. Feel
Seeing as Euro notes are printed on pure cotton paper, they are crisp and firm instead of soft or waxy. The feeling of raised print for the lettering, numerals and main image should be present seeing as printing is embossed. This can be identified by running your fingers over the notes to feel the undulation. For larger denomination notes there are tactile marks for those that are visually impaired included on the bottom edge.
2. Look
Notes contain a watermark that is only visible when against light which will show a picture including the note’s value. A security thread is also present on notes. This is a stripe running from the top to the bottom which when held against light will appear dark and the word Euro can be seen in tiny letters. Perforations are present on notes where holograms are in the shape of the Euro symbol that is visible against a background of light with small numbers to indicate the value.
3. Tilt
The €5, €10 and €20 notes all have a hologram foil stripe on the front. When these low value notes are tilted their value is shown along with a glossy stripe on the back. Under a bright light this stripe will shine and change colour. Notes above €20 have a hologram patch on front but also for added security they’ve a colour changing number on the back. When these high value notes are tilted you’ll see the architectural motif as well as the note’s value. When put up to a bright background the value numerals change colour from purple to brown or olive green.
There are a few additional security features on notes to help you tell if money is counterfeit which you can discover in our handling cash guide.
