Careful with that new bill

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http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2011-12-01/article-2822658/Careful-with-that-new-bill/1

More junk journalism at its best (or worst).  Sure the author wasn't the culprit? It's a slow day at the office when reporters start mutilating money...  That story of some guy writing his name on the bill and then his friend taking the bill home and trying to erase the pen mark sounds so made up.  And someone beat me to the punch in the comment section regarding the same thing being possible with bills of the old series.  Everyone has seen older bills with erasure marks.  Rub hard enough and you'll lift more than the ink stain, heh heh.

A significant "weakness" of the new notes relates to the strength, or lack thereof, of the polymer fabric. Although it's essentially impossible to tear an undamaged polymer note, if it receives a cut in an edge from a sharp instrument (e.g., scissors or a razor blade) then the polymer will tear along the cut-line just like toilet paper. I expect to see a lot of notes with missing pieces in the future.

I expect to see a lot of notes with missing pieces in the future.

I'm not so sure. I saw many very heavily circulated polymer notes in Romania in 2005, some even with enough layers of ink worn through that the clear base layer could be seen. But I didn't see any with pieces missing.

And, back to the linked article in the OP, <sigh>, yet another reference to the Peace Tower. I would have expected that enough people know what the Peace Tower looks like (it is one of Canada's most recognizable buildings after all) that the East Block tower on the $100 wouldn't be mistaken for it.

A significant "weakness" of the new notes relates to the strength, or lack thereof, of the polymer fabric. Although it's essentially impossible to tear an undamaged polymer note, if it receives a cut in an edge from a sharp instrument (e.g., scissors or a razor blade) then the polymer will tear along the cut-line just like toilet paper. I expect to see a lot of notes with missing pieces in the future.

I think you're right!  In my prolific career or reporting notes in the SNDB, I have handled quite a number of notes, usually $20 notes, that had pieces missing along the edges.  Not holes or indentations, but oblong strips of paper missing such that the edge was slanted, leaving an undersized note.  I don't think people are doing it deliberately.  People mishandle notes and start tears, but note-handling machines tend to be unforgiving and if the edge of a tear catches on something, then the note will be ripped much more dramatically.  Sharp edges in machinery could be the primary source of cuts to polymer notes, and if the notes are as fragile as you say, the resulting mangled notes could be even more dramatic than we're used to seeing.

It seems that Ottawa and mmars were right about polymer notes with missing pieces... look at what I got from the credit union today. Looks like it started with a heavy staple hole:

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New $100 bills shrivel in heat


New $100 bills shrivel in heat. Some of the melted $100 bills.
submitted
 New, polymer $100 Canadian bills are said to be more durable than paper banknotes, however, a Cambridge woman warns that they’ll melt under certain conditions.

Mona Billard said that her son Nicholas, who works in construction, was given his Christmas bonus last month and put eight of the new bills inside a chocolate tin that he placed near a heater, behind the couch. When he opened the tin the following day to make a bank deposit, the money was shriveled.

Luckily, Billard had enough savings to spell her son’s loss during the holiday season. However, she reported the incident to the Bank of Canada and sent the deformed dinero to Ottawa ­– as per policy for contaminated and mutilated banknotes – where it will be examined to determine whether the monetary amount can be redeemed.

“We’ve never heard of a situation like this,” said Bank of Canada spokesman Manuel Parreira.

The new polymer $100 bills, which were introduced in November, underwent scientific tests to make sure they withstood various conditions, including heat and cold.

Polymer banknotes have been integrated into other currencies all over the world, dating back to the early 1980s.

In Canada, the new $100 bill costs almost twice the amount to produce (19 cents), compared to paper bills (10 cents), but they last 2.5 times longer, and are resistant to tearing and water.

Most importantly, the new bills have hidden security features, including several transparent holograms, which make them difficult to counterfeit. The Bank of Canada plans to introduce the new $50 bill in March. Polymer $20, $10 and $5 bills are expected next year.

Billard said she just wants to make people are aware that the new bills will melt under high temperatures.

“People leave their wallets on their dash in the summertime.”

http://www.cambridgetimes.ca/news/local/article/1276237--new-100-bills-shrivel-in-heat

New $100 bills shrivel in heat
Billard said she just wants to make people are aware that the new bills will melt under high temperatures.

They're PLASTIC, people!  What do you think will happen?  We should put out a news release: "Snowmen melt in the spring!" Awareness is everything!

I'm waiting for the media to associate the melting polymer notes with global warming...

 

Manitoba man's rip-test exposes flaw in new $100 bill

Saira Peesker, CTVNews.ca
Date: Thu. Jan. 19 2012 7:58 AM ET

A Manitoba man has found cracks in the claim Canada's new polymer bills are stronger than the paper variety they're replacing.

Brandon resident Charles Shepard says a test he devised at home found the old, paper bills were able to take three times as much weight before tearing in half.

He first noticed the weakness on Tuesday when he withdrew 12 of the plastic $100 bills from a local bank. The bills, which first went into circulation in November, are supposed to last two-and-a-half times as long as their paper counterparts, according to the Bank of Canada.

Shepard said two of the bills he received already had nicks in them and began tearing even more when he handled them.

"This one had a crack or something where it was folded," he explained, showing CTV Winnipeg the bill in question. "When I counted the money, it seemed to just tear instantly."

In the test he devised, he placed a full can of Coke on top of one of the cracked bills and pulled on it. The bill tore easily in half.

"It probably would've torn with less than one can of Coke," he added.

Trying the same test with a cracked paper $50 bill and a piece of 2-ply toilet paper, Shepard found both could withstand the weight of three full pop cans without ripping. After seeing the results, he says he'd prefer to stick with the old bills when possible.

"I think I'd rather have two fifties, the older paper bills," he said. "I don't think the Canadian $100 bill should be weaker than two-ply toilet paper."

The Bank of Canada says it's aware of the issue, but it's not a major concern.

"One of the elements of the polymer compound upon which the bills are printed will basically cause the bills to tear if there's a nick of any of the four sides of the bill," said regional Bank of Canada representative Ted Mieszkalski. "The bills themselves can be cut but not torn."

He says the plastic bills are still much more durable than the paper ones, a claim supported by banks and retailers questioned by CTV News.

"When you get several of them they're slippery so they're a little bit harder to count, but other than that they're great," says Tracy Jonasson of Brandon Home Hardware.

The Bank of Canada says anyone with a ripped new bill can exchange it for a new one at any financial institution.

With a report by CTV Winnipeg's Josh Crabb

Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20120119/Manitoba-man-rip-test-exposes-flaw-new-bill-120119/#ixzz1jwFkEY4g

It's possible to take off all the intaglio without a trace with just a simple eraser. Had I done it more carefully, I could have done it without crinkling the note.

Just beware of any suspicious ink "errors". 

What should I do with this note? Send it to the BoC mutilated currency division?

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Deposit it through an ATM.

Intaglio ink can be removed from paper notes too with enough rubbing. Rub a Journey note on a piece if paper and you'll see the ink rubbing off. I've actually had cashiers do this in front of me to authenticate a note.

I was pretty happy to find the earliest polymer $50 known in the SNDB so far. But when I pulled it out of the bundle... 

I also found a few notes with significant rips in them. It's hard to initiate a rip, but once it's started it tears easier than cheap toilet paper.

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They're PLASTIC, people!  What do you think will happen?  We should put out a news release: "Snowmen melt in the spring!" Awareness is everything!

Good old Snopes puts this urban legend to rest for good.

http://www.snopes.com/business/money/melting.asp