Generally, the number of counterfeit banknotes is growing like a snowball and has already reached the level that existed before the introduction of the single European currency. Yet it was said that the new banknotes are well protected. At the same time, the quality of counterfeits has improved so much that it is quite difficult to distinguish them from real ones without special equipment. Therefore, citizens going on tourist trips need to be extremely careful.
Every third counterfeit banknote is in France, which is popular among our tourists. Counterfeit euros are also widespread in Southern European countries, where they are also quite successfully produced - recently, state-of-the-art underground printing houses were discovered there. By the way, even Colombia is engaged in such business. After all, equipment that reproduces holograms on banknotes costs only 50,000 of these very euros and allows printing a banknote in a few minutes.
This year there have been changes in the choice of favorite among counterfeiters. If earlier the 50-euro banknote held the lead in the number of counterfeits, now the twenty has taken its place. According to the ECB, currently 44% of counterfeit euros withdrawn from circulation are of this denomination.
Not only paper money is counterfeited, but also metal coins. This year there is a sharp increase in the number of counterfeit coins. In Germany alone, 39,000 counterfeit coins were detected in the first half of this year, which is 40% more than a year earlier. At the same time, 95% of counterfeits are €2 coins.
Despite the high quality of current counterfeits, there are signs that an ordinary person can use to determine whether the euros they are holding are real or fake. The ECB recommends using two verification methods: tactile (by touch) and visual.
TACTILE. The paper used for banknotes contains pure cotton. Therefore, a banknote should feel dense and crisp, not limp. In addition, euro banknotes use relief printing - numbers and letters on the front side should be raised. Imagine they are applied with ordinary old ink that does not soak in but dries on the paper. Slowly run your fingernail over the banknote and you will feel it.
VISUAL. All security features are visible against the light. These are, firstly, a watermark, security thread, microtext, a matching denomination image, iridescent ink (for 5, 10, 20 euro notes) or VIP effect (for 50, 100, 200 and 500 euro notes). Secondly, when tilting the banknote, the hologram will 'play'. On small banknotes, the hologram is in the form of a strip. When tilted, the euro symbol and denomination become visible. On large banknotes, a holographic security patch is applied. At a certain angle, an architectural element with the denomination is visible. Tilt it back and forth - and multicolored (all the colors of the rainbow) circles will shimmer.
Anna KALEDINA, Alexey ARONOV.
«Финансовые Известия»