# Color copier refuses to copy US currency **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 29, 2000, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312 "2000-07-29T04:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/21 "2000-07-30T05:37:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by retsin2000 \* > Ok, so I was with a friend the other day and he took out one of the new fives and removed the security thread. He said something to the effect that the government is using them to count how much money you have when you go through airports. I assume he meant the metal detectors. I believe Cecil covered this in a column. I’d give a link but the search engine is having problems. Anyway, Cecil claims that the security thread is just ordinary polyester (or something similar) and does not respond to electronic or magnetic signals. Not only that, they aren’t a new feature. They’ve been in all notes except for $1 and $2 since the early 80s, long before the redesigned bills were introduced. ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/22 "2000-07-30T07:13:17Z")
::computer altered face and deepend voice:: I’ve photocopied money. At work (Best Buy) we sell a HP G55, which has 1200x2400 scan, and PhotoRetIII print. Basically, a high quality machine. It allows you to copy all the bills. It doesn’t seem to care. It does a damned good job. DISCLAIMER: I did not and would not copy money with the intent to pass it as real. We were copying one side and folding it in half so it looked real, then dropping it on the ground. We wrote “Ha-Ha” on the inside, and turned out PC Cameras on the bills to watch the people who picked it up, and their reactions. –Tim ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/23 "2000-07-30T07:48:01Z")
Even without the intent to “pass’ you could be held guilty of the lesser crime of “making” or “holding”. Sure, that is ONLY one year in the Pen, instead of 15. Don’t do any of this folks, not for a joke, or to see if it can be done or for any reason at all. The US Secret Service has NO sense of humor at all, and even if you’re not convicted, even being arrested means thousands of $ in bail and legal fees, and you KNOW your boss is gonna fire your ass for 'improper usage of company equipt”. Besides which, a lot of companies these days are videotaping the copy room, and right there on the copier is record of when you tried to do your 'copy" “just for fun”, which is easily matched up with the time on the tape. Grounds for firing, WITH “cause”. ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/24 "2000-07-30T17:11:04Z")
You might want to mention your shennigans to your boss as a preemptive strike. My S.O. is working on an anti-counterfeiting project with his company. He contacted the IKON company to find out how this system works. They weren’t terribly interested about giving away proprietary info, but they did tell him that if counterfeiting is attempted, their copiers will record the information and when serviced the tech is obligated to report the violation. My intention is not to freak you out, but to let you know that this is a possibility. You can probably call your copier company to find out if this is true. ---
**Author:** ![johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2000, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/25 "2000-07-30T22:31:48Z")
Our admin guy was explaining to several of us the other day that our new copy machines will shut down if someone attempts to copy currency. Maybe after the third attempt, or something like that, but I don’t think I’ll try it once. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/26 "2000-07-31T04:44:06Z")
[Here’s](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_030.html) Cecil’s column on this topic. It was written 6 years ago, but he does mention copiers being modified to not copy dollar bills. ---
**Author:** ![Shaky\_Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Shaky\_Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shaky_Jake)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/27 "2000-07-31T14:29:15Z")
Slightly OT, but fascinating nonetheless, is the story of J.S.G. Boggs. He is an artist who draws money, and then attempts to spend it for it’s face value. He usually makes artistic alterations to the “bills”, and does not try to pass them off as authentic. He is exploring the nature of money and the value of art. Essentially, what he is doing is bartering - trading a drawing of a (Boggs) fifty dollar bill for fifty dollars worth of goods/services. Although he makes no attempt to pass off his art as real money, he has still run afoul of both the British govt. and the U.S. Secret Service. A few links for those interested, the first to a review of short, highly entertaining book about Boggs and his adventures. the book: [http://www.prospect.org/archives/V11-2/galbraith.html](http://www.prospect.org/archives/V11-2/galbraith.html) an article on counterfitting and the first amendment: [http://www.law.indiana.edu/ilj/v71/no1/stapel.html](http://www.law.indiana.edu/ilj/v71/no1/stapel.html) His website: [http://www.jsgboggs.com/](http://www.jsgboggs.com/) Likely more links than anyone cares for, but it’s a intriguing story, and I am one who is decidedly not into performance art. Shaky Jake ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/28 "2000-07-31T17:49:48Z")
I went a Boggs performance several months ago. Over the course of an hour, he put together and dismantled a work of art. All the while talking about how much it might be worth and whom it really belonged to (he recruited some people from the audience to be part of it). He gave me his camera to take a picture of it, and asked who would hold the rights to that picture. Interesting stuff. ---
**Author:** ![DavisMcDavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@DavisMcDavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavisMcDavis)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/29 "2000-07-31T18:15:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by retsin2000 \* > \*\*Warning: Potential conspiracy theory BS below. > > Ok, so I was with a friend the other day and he took out one of the new fives and removed the security thread. He said something to the effect that the government is using them to count how much money you have when you go through airports. I assume he meant the metal detectors. I am quite sure that he was kidding as he is not really into conspiracy theories and hasn’t said anything about black helicopters chasing him or anything. He probably read something on a.f.c.a. > > \*\* My first encounter with those strips was when my wacked-out conspiracy-theory uncle was pulling them out at some family wedding reception and telling people that the government had little scanner things that could detect them so they could drive by your house and tell how much money you had. I guess that was a concern for people who keep their money in paper currency under the mattress. ---
**Author:** ![orestes543](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b5e925/32.png) [@orestes543](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orestes543)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/30 "2000-07-31T18:35:19Z")
I’ve heard that with these new bills, anybody could tell how much you have on you, too. I’m not sure if any of it’s true or not, but I certainly don’t like the idea of anyone being able to tell how much money I’m carrying with me at any particular moment. I don’t believe that’s really anyone’s business but my own and that’s the way it should be. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/31 "2000-07-31T18:43:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by orestes543 \* > **I’ve heard that with these new bills, anybody could tell how much you have on you, too…** If that were true, then you’d be able to tell how much money everyone else is carrying. But you can’t so it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/32 "2000-07-31T22:45:41Z")
So, Danielinthewolvesden, just curious: What sort of trouble could the Reader get into for hosting this discussion, which includes explicit directions on what equipment can successfully copy money? ---
**Author:** ![jmullaney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@jmullaney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmullaney)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/33 "2000-07-31T22:45:43Z")
I work for a company that makes printer firmware – and, indeed, people in dark suits do show up once in a while – although I don’t know why. All I can say is they don’t come in helicopters. As an aside, all the printers sold abroad to Iraq in the 80s have little homing beacons in them. This helped us target bombs during the war. Take that you Bagdad Kinkos you! ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312/34 "2000-07-31T23:36:08Z")
**London Calling** asked the musical question: > [@](#): > > Do stamps fall within the legal definition of counterfeiting ? and I don’t see all the characteristics of the cash money around the little lickable picture of the Queen – how would the copier deal with stamps ? They seem to take it pretty seriously in [Hong Kong](http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/199811/30/1130pste.htm). A Canadian satirical magazine called [FRANK](http://www.frankmag.net/) created a series of spurious Canadian stamps in 1993 as a prank on Canada Post. “Issues” included a dope-smoking Prime Minister (Kim Campbell at the time), the Ben Johnson Freestyle Doping stamp, and stamps celebrating Quebec cultural icons like Mitsou, Youppi, and poutine. Nearly all got through the system (despite not being phosphor-tagged). Glen McGregor, the perp, added: > [@](#): > > Each envelope contained a message about Canada Post’s president: “Don Lander is a schnook.” (If I was charged with forgery, I wanted this piece of physical evidence read into the court record.) A booklet and sample set of 50 or so stamps was published as “Insufficient Postage” in 1995. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-copier-refuses-to-copy-us-currency/27312.md?page=1)