# Plastic strips in Currency **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860 "2001-08-12T01:26:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/1 "2001-08-12T01:26:29Z")
Is it possible to determine what denominations and total amount of cash you are carring by electronically detecting the plastic anti-counterfitting strips in US currency? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/2 "2001-08-12T01:29:45Z")
no. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/3 "2001-08-12T05:02:41Z")
why not? I’m going to say “yes.” ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/4 "2001-08-12T05:13:28Z")
> [@](#): > > why not? Because [Cecil said so](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_030.html), that’s why not. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/5 "2001-08-12T08:13:18Z")
Just now I slid one out of a bill and bit down on it. Definitely maybe metal in it. Try it, you’ll see what I mean. Just plastic won’t give you that zingy metal \*\*_feel_[b/], will it? I will take the strip to the lab at my school **ASAP** and give my personal results. Not that I don’t trust Cecil implicitly…OK, maybe I don’t. My hypothesis is that the “plastic” does indeed contain metal. There I said it. Who wants to bet? $5. Ok, gentlemen’s bet. {{{SHAKE}}} Whoever wins is the winner. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/6 "2001-08-12T12:35:02Z")
OK, I do accept the bet. I say it is NOT possible. I know there is metal in the strips, but they are to make counterfeiting more difficult, not to detect the content of your purse. Impatiently awaiting results, Schnitte ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/7 "2001-08-12T12:58:55Z")
It is not possible. And I do not accept **wishbone** ’s bet becaus he is a known conspiracy wacko. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/8 "2001-08-12T18:26:31Z")
**Schnitte** said > [@](#): > > . I know there is metal in the strips How do you know that? ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/9 "2001-08-12T19:06:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\ ***Schnitte** said > > > [@](#): > > > > . I know there is metal in the strips > > How do you know that? \*\* Frankly spoken I do not know it, at least not related to the US Dollar. But I know the strips in German Mark bills are metal, and since the ones in the Dollar look pretty similar and fulfil the same purpose, I suppose they both are made of the same stuff. [OK, I know this conclusion is not 100% waterproof, but it sounds logical, doesn’t it?] I do not know what metal the strips are - I sometimes hear them referred to as “silver strips”, but I’m fairly sure it is NOT silver 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plastic-strips-in-currency/75860/10 "2001-08-12T19:16:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by August West \* > \*\*It is not possible. And I do not accept **wishbone** ’s bet becaus he is a known conspiracy wacko. \*\* Chicken.