Counterfeiters often use ordinary printer paper (wood pulp) or low-quality paper, which feels different from genuine currency (typically cotton/linen rag paper), but increasingly, sophisticated fakes are appearing on polymer (plastic) to mimic modern banknotes, though these are often easier to detect by touch or tearing. The biggest challenge for counterfeiters is replicating the unique feel, durability (doesn't shred easily), and security features (like clear windows or embedded threads) of real money.
A fancy word for paper in the currency business is substrate. U.S. currency paper is composed of 25% linen and 75% cotton, with red and blue fibers distributed randomly throughout to make imitation more difficult.
The paper used for printing paper currency isn't actually paper. It's a combination of cotton cloth, linen and 80-90 gsm starch paper, in combinations that are secret (basically speaking). It is manufactured to have the look, feel and general properties of paper.
Central banks around the world rely on cotton linen paper for producing their national currency. Mints use cotton linen paper to create coins and banknotes with enhanced security features.
Some of the major types of printer paper include:
Neither 70 gsm nor 75 gsm is universally "better"; the choice depends on your needs, with 70 gsm being lighter and cheaper for everyday use, while 75 gsm offers a more substantial, professional feel and better opacity for double-sided printing, making it ideal for reports, proposals, and client documents. Choose 70 gsm for high-volume, cost-effective printing like drafts or internal memos, and 75 gsm when you need a slightly thicker, more premium look without the cost of heavier stock, notes A4Paper.in.
Gampi is the rarest of the three fibers and is typically the most expensive. Gampi papers are sought after for their crisp and almost translucent qualities. Mitsumata is shorter than Kozo fibers and produces a smooth sheet with beautiful tonalities.
Federal Reserve note paper is one-fourth linen and three-fourths cotton, and contains red and blue security fibers. The $100 note features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the front of the note and a vignette of Independence Hall on the back of the note.
Federal Reserve notes are a blend of 25 percent linen and 75 percent cotton. Currency paper has tiny red and blue synthetic fibers of various lengths evenly distributed throughout the paper.
o Look for a security thread (a plastic strip) running from top to bottom. Beginning in 1990, an embedded (not printed) security thread was added to all bills except the $1 and $2 bills. If you hold the bill up to the light, you will see the strip and printing on it.
Most $2 bills are worth face value, but older bills (pre-1976), those in uncirculated condition, or bills with errors (like star notes, low serial numbers, or misprints) can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, with rare 19th-century notes fetching thousands. Key factors are age, condition (crisp and folded is best), and unique serial numbers or printing mistakes.
A specific type of misprinted $1 bill from the 2013 Series, particularly in matching pairs, can be worth up to $150,000 to collectors, due to an error where millions were printed with duplicate serial numbers. To identify one, check for a "Series 2013" date near George Washington's photo, a "B" Federal Reserve seal, and a serial number ending in a star (★) within specific ranges (e.g., B00000001★ - B00250000★).
It turns out that rag fibers bond together much more firmly than fibers in regular paper. Rag fibers are basically unaffected by water, whereas cellulose fibers absorb water and come apart when they get wet. So paper money comes through the washer just fine, while cellulose paper comes unglued.
While the paper notes are no longer legal tender, a spokeswoman said “all genuine Bank of England banknotes that have been withdrawn from circulation retain their face value. There is no expiry on the period in which we will exchange banknotes”.
In many countries, the issuance of private paper currencies and/or the minting of metal coins intended to be used as currency is a criminal act, such as in the United States (18 U.S. Code § 486). Digital cryptocurrency is sometimes treated as an asset instead of a currency.
“A serial number '1′ for a 1976 $2 bill would be worth $20,000 or more,” Dustin Johnston, vice president of Heritage Auctions, told MarketWatch. Other high-value serial numbers include so-called “ladder” or “solid” numbers. Solid serial numbers are codes that have the same digit, such as 88888888888.
The United States no longer issues bills in larger denominations, such as $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 bills. But they are still legal tender and may still be in circulation. The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing creates U.S. paper currency.
Although 42,000 were printed, only 12 remain in existence and it's illegal to own one. (Issued in 1934-1935. The approximate buying power: 2.4 Million dollars in today's money).
Paper used for money, on the other hand, is made from cotton and linen fibers. This kind of paper is known as rag paper. One big advantage of using rag paper is the fact that it does not disintegrate if you accidentally run paper money through a washing machine.
Paper thickness GSM guide
90 - 120 GSM paper: The average weight of regular copy paper and non-fiction book pages. 130 - 250 GSM paper: The weight most commonly used for flyers and promotional posters. 260 - 300 GSM paper: Thicker paper but still bendable cardstock, which works well for high-end brochures or magazines.
Neither 70 gsm nor 75 gsm is universally "better"; the choice depends on your needs, with 70 gsm being lighter and cheaper for everyday use, while 75 gsm offers a more substantial, professional feel and better opacity for double-sided printing, making it ideal for reports, proposals, and client documents. Choose 70 gsm for high-volume, cost-effective printing like drafts or internal memos, and 75 gsm when you need a slightly thicker, more premium look without the cost of heavier stock, notes A4Paper.in.
Alkaline paper has a life expectancy of over 1,000 years for the best paper and 500 years for average grades. The making of alkaline paper has several other advantages in addition to the preservation benefits afforded to the publications and documents printed on it.
The Itaipu hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River between Brazil and Paraguay cost $27 billion to build in 1984 (now $35.93 billion), making it the single most expensive object on Earth. Only the International Space Station (ISS) has cost more in terms of a single project.
Paper prices vary, but a typical bulk cost is $1,000/ton, which is $2.50 per ream of 500 sheets, half a cent per sheet, 50 cents per pound, or 3 cents per ounce. A ream of unused paper is about 2 inches thick, so there are 250 sheets per inch, 3,000 sheets per foot, and each sheet is 0.004 inches thick.