JOE BOLING ON THE ANS COUNTERFEIT MONEY EXHIBIT

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V13 2010 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 13, Number 17, April 25, 2010, Article 24

Joe Boling submitted these thoughts on the press release for the new American Numismatic Society exhibit �Funny Money: The Fight of the US Secret Service against Counterfeit Money�, on display at the new York Rederal Reserve Bank. -Editor

Until the advent of the computer and ink-jet printers, counterfeit notes were made with engraved plates on offset printing machines.

"Until the advent of the computer and ink-jet printers, counterfeit notes were made with engraved plates on offset printing machines." Is that what the ANS press release actually said? Engraved plates and offset printing machines don't go together. Tell me they really didn't say so.

Yep - it said so. That didn't sound right to me either, but I guess I take every press release with a grain of salt - as marketing literature it's meant to bring people in the door, and isn't necessarily written by or reviewed by the exhibit curators. Boo-boos in the release wouldn't stop me from seeing the exhibit, but I would read the exhibit text more carefully. -Editor

And the caption "Bleached $100 note with fake watermark" is incorrect, too. The whole purpose of bleaching banknote paper is to obtain a piece of paper that already has a genuine watermark in it - you don't need to insert another one. The Bureau changed the $5 note so that it would no longer bear a portrait watermark. If you are going to laminate a fake watermark into a note, you start with lightweight plain paper. Making it defeat the ubiquitous marker pens is not a problem.

Even if you don't want an accompanied tour of the exhibit, you have to let them know in advance that you are coming. According to Coin World, that's three days in advance - so the New York Fed can run your name against the no-fly lists and other security databases. To read the earlier article, see: ANS OPENS NEW EXHIBIT ON COUNTERFEIT MONEY (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n16a08.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor