why does paper money have red and blue squiggly lines in it?
I looked at a twenty dollar bill and saw these colorful lines. Just wondering why.
As others have said they make counterfeiting harder…
The paper (and it isn’t even really paper) used to make our money comes from a Massachusetts company called Crane (you can buy regular stationary from them, though not the same stuff used for money obviously). When they make it, using a lot of cotton (which is why it feels more like cloth than paper), they also add in little blue and red fibers, tiny little strings basically, that when mixed all up and squeezed into paper give you those lines.
The History channel and others have done some great little pieces on the U.S. Mint and counterfeiting and stuff. Should probably be able to find a clip or two on youtube. Go check it out, it’s really cool!
The Day of the Dollar (Roel van Broekhoven, Backlight 2005)
| | ► USA Banknote NM-106 Massachusetts State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote BVC 2010 Note Trillion Dollars $0.59 |
| | ► Mongolia 20087 Note 20 tugrik P-63 banknote unc $0.79 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-119 Alabama USA State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-123 Mississippi State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-101 New Hamshire State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► Philippines 1942 Note 50 centavos P-105a Banknote unc $0.79 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-124 Missouri State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-108 Rhode Island State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-107 Kentucky State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-116 Maryland State Banknote unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-133 Kansas State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-104 Connecticut State Banknote unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-127 Ohio State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote BVC 2010 Note Trillion Dollars x 3 pieces $0.99 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-120 Louisiana USA State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-126 Michigan State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-114 Arkansas State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-129 Iowa State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► Myanmar 1996 Burma Note 5 kyat P-70 Banknote unc $0.79 |
| | ► Myanmar 1994 Burma Note 50 pays P-68 Banknote unc $0.79 |
| | ► USA Banknote AR- Note w/Washington sign Million Dollar Bill $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-110 Illinois State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► South Korea 1962 Note 10 jeon P-28 Banknote unc $0.79 |
| | ► Myanmar 1996 Burma Note 1 kyat P-69 Banknote unc $0.79 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-115 Delaware State Note w/ error $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-117 Vermont United State Note $0.69 |
| | ► Turkmistan 2005 Note 100 manat P-17 Banknote unc $0.79 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-10 Liberty Million Eagle Note unc $0.59 |
| | ► Mongolia 2008 Note 5 tugrik P-53 banknote unc $0.79 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-113 South Carolina State Note $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-111 New York State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-131 Wisconsin State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-102 Georgia State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► Myanmar 1990 Burma Note 1 kyat P-67 Banknote unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote AR- Note w/Washington sign Million Dollar Bill x 3 pieces $0.99 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-121 Tennessee State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-122 North Carolina State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-132 Minnesota State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► Myanmar 1994 Burma Note 20 kyat P-72 Banknote unc $0.79 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-126 Michigan State Note unc $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-100 New Jersey State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-118 Maine USA State Note unc x 3 pieces $0.99 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-112 Virginia State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-130 West Virginia State Note unc $0.69 |
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| | ► USA Banknote NM-135 Nevada State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-249 Pit Bull Dog Million Pet Note $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-142 Idaho State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-146 New Mexico State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-220 Support Our Troops Price of Freedom Million Note unc $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-139 North Dakota State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-322 Holy Cow American Million Note $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-137 South Dakota State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-143 Wyoming State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-274 Doberman Million Pet Note $0.59 |
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| | ► USA Banknote NM-140 Montana State Note unc $0.69 |
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| | ► USA Banknote NM-241 German Sheperd Million Pet Note $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-283 Shih-Tzu Dog Million Pet Note $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-158 It’s a Girl Million Note unc $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-144 Utah State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-226 President Buchanan $500 $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-254 United States Women in the Military Million Note unc $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-224 President Buchanan $100 $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-218 Virgin Mary $7 Note x 3 pieces unc $0.99 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-199 Play Money Moola Million Note unc $0.59 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-141 Washington State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-149 Hawaii State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-136 Colorado State Note unc $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-2 United States Navy Million Note $0.69 |
| | ► USA Banknote NM-148 Arizona State Note unc $0.69 |
