1. Feel the note. Can you feel the raised intaglio printing? Can you feel the "washboard' effect of running your fingernail across the ridges of thick ink in the dark areas of the portrait?
2. Check the engraved printing. With a good magnifying glass, look at the eyes of Borden. Aside from a gleam of white in the top left, the pupils should be solid black, with crisp, sharp circles surrounding them to form the iris. All of the other engraved printing should be sharp and crisp.
3. Compare any suspect notes. If you have any notes which you believe to be suspect, compare them to others you believe to be good. A side-by-side comparison can allow you to pick out differences much quicker.
4. Look for water damage. Notes printed by an ink-jet printer are very susceptible to water damage. If even a single drop of water touches the note, the ink will run in that spot. The colours will dilute and run together. They will leak into adjacent areas. Authentic notes can be run through the laundry without any change in the printing.
5. Check the note under UV light. Under a proper UV light, the green planchettes will glow a bright cyan colour (light blue-green). Authentic notes will have glowing planchettes with sharp, well-defined edges. Counterfeit notes will have fuzzy planchettes as they are produced by adding a drop of liquid to the note and the liquid seeps into the paper and spreads out. Authentic planchettes are solid pieces of plastic.
Hope that helps
« Last Edit: February 05, 2010, 01:09:16 pm by BWJM »
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BWJM, F.O.N.A.
Life Member of CPMS, RCNA, ONA, ANA, IBNS, WCS.
President, IBNS Ontario Chapter.
Treasurer, Waterloo Coin Society.
Show Chair, Cambridge Coin Show.
Fellow of the Ontario Numismatic Association.