U.S. Offers $50 Download

Security Measures... by ackthpt · 2004-10-01 05:11 · Score: 5, Funny

due to mostly-secret anti-counterfeiting measures built-in.

There is, of course, a problem with this. The guy I bulk order my Tin Foil Hats from won't accept them. Maybe this guy will take them.

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A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar

Re:Security Measures... by strictfoo · 2004-10-01 05:18 · Score: 5, Informative

The PDFs:
http://www.moneyfactory.com/newmoney/files/Glossy- face-web.pdf
http://www.moneyfactory.com/newmoney/files/Glossy- back-web.pdf
http://www.moneyfactory.com/newmoney/files/Bill_gl ossies_white.pdf

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I've just signed legislation that'll outlaw Russia forever. We'll begin bombing in five minutes.
Re:Security Measures... by strictfoo · 2004-10-01 05:21 · Score: 3, Interesting

Strangely, the image links on this site show the $50 but the PDFs contain the $20.

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I've just signed legislation that'll outlaw Russia forever. We'll begin bombing in five minutes.
Re:Security Measures... by rgmoore · 2004-10-01 05:54 · Score: 5, Funny

Don't you know anything? You have to make your own tinfoil hat. The commercial tinfoil hat makers have been suborned to make theirs defective. Commercial models act as antennas for, rather than deflectors of, the CIA's mind control beams. Trust no one!

--
There's no point in questioning authority if you aren't going to listen to the answers.
Re:Security Measures... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-01 06:55 · Score: 5, Funny

You forgot to post anonymously. Enjoy your ride in the black helicopter.
Re:Security Measures... by chrish · 2004-10-01 07:04 · Score: 5, Funny

Inflation.

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- chrish
Re:Security Measures... by futileboy · 2004-10-01 16:12 · Score: 3, Interesting

The really interesting thing about these PDF is that if I open them in Illustrator I can delete the vector text "SPECIMEN" without effecting the the raster image of the bill. Which leaves me with a pretty good, yes a little low res, but good version of the bill to print on my color printer. So, um why won't my scanner scan it again?

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||| technological transcendentalist |||

They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by garcia · 2004-10-01 05:12 · Score: 5, Insightful

Poor Grant, even after death, has become quiet the specimen. Poor guy. Can't we let him RIP?

Although I think it's great that we are creating bills that we believe will curb counterfeiting shouldn't we also be working to make them look good? The new colors and everything are nice but definitely overused. It makes the bills look crowded and tacky. Reminds me of a hairdresser with too much makeup. The little yellow 20s and what appear to be 50s on the back of the new color bills are horrid. I looks like I dropped the bills in honey and couldn't clean it all off.

If I'm gonna pay $50 for a piece of paper it should at least be clean :-)

Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by chill · 2004-10-01 05:16 · Score: 5, Informative

Uhhh....those little yellow 20s are a major part of the digial anti-counterfeiting measures!

The pattern of the "0"s is something you'll see on Euros, Pounds and many other currencies. This allows software to easily recognize one pattern, at almost any angle, and not have to have separate code for each country's currency.

"It's simpler than you might think. All compliant notes bear a pattern of five tiny circles. On the Euro, the circles appear in a constellation of stars; on the British £20 note, they're disguised as musical notation. On the new $US20 note, the pattern is hidden in the zeros of a repeated background pattern of the number 20. Imaging software or devices detect the pattern and won't play ball."

Check it out at http://www.listener.co.nz/default,1412.sm

-Charles

--
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by RangerRick98 · 2004-10-01 05:18 · Score: 3, Insightful

Actually, though I do think the bills look a bit odd as they are now, I think it would make more sense to make each denomination a different base color entirely, kinda like monopoly money. Sure, it sounds silly, but I've been in foreign countries where they do exactly that, and let me tell you, it's a lot easier to tell the bills apart at a glance that way.

--
"You're older than you've ever been, and now you're even older."
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by ezberry · 2004-10-01 05:36 · Score: 3, Funny

You're totally right! The point of currency is to be pretty, and not to establish a safe and trusted means of commerce.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by stormhair · 2004-10-01 05:38 · Score: 3, Informative

Indeed, as a Brit I can confirm that they are on all of our banknotes.

Here's some more info about it.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by Spoing · 2004-10-01 05:38 · Score: 3, Insightful
1. "It's simpler than you might think. All compliant notes bear a pattern of five tiny circles. On the Euro, the circles appear in a constellation of stars; on the British £20 note, they're disguised as musical notation. On the new $US20 note, the pattern is hidden in the zeros of a repeated background pattern of the number 20. Imaging software or devices detect the pattern and won't play ball."
If that's the case -- and even if the specific detail of the 5 dots is in error -- I don't see this thwarting counterfitters much. Yes, casual copiers or someone who wants to have a $$$ design for a wallpaper or brochure will be puzzled.
One idea that comes immediately to mind is to copy overlapping sections of a bill and piece the parts together. This could be found by trial and error, so it's no big deal!
--
A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by arose · 2004-10-01 05:41 · Score: 4, Insightful

Gold has the same value as money: the one people attach to it.

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Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by TwistedSpring · 2004-10-01 05:45 · Score: 4, Interesting

I think the hologram on british pounds and the euros might give the game away. You can't scan a hologram.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by loraksus · 2004-10-01 05:48 · Score: 4, Informative

There is a "banknote patch" for Photoshop CS, which makes the protection useless.

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Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by sharkey · 2004-10-01 05:52 · Score: 4, Funny

Poor Grant, even after death, has become quiet the specimen.
Dead people usually ARE quiet specimens. If they aren't, it's a pretty good indication that there's something wrong.

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--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by andrew_0812 · 2004-10-01 05:54 · Score: 4, Insightful

I don't see this thwarting counterfitters much. Yes, casual copiers or someone who wants to have a $$$ design for a wallpaper or brochure will be puzzled.

Thats just it. Lately the Government has had more problems with the casual Xerox copyier counterfitters and the HP Scanner/Printer counterfitters than professional ones. They will always have problems with professional counterfitters. But they are few and far between. If anyone that owns a scanner can produce a realistic looking bill, that is a big problem. There are a lot of people out there who will not see the potential ramifications of their actions, and think that it is a fun test. "Can I make somebody take a fake $20?"

These causal counterfitters are the hardest ones to catch. Especially the "smart" ones who only do it once or twice. If you keep it up, you will get caught. The Feds are our protection against professional counterfitters, more than the nature of the bill.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by andrew_0812 · 2004-10-01 06:02 · Score: 3, Insightful

Too many people have a love for the old "Greenback" to let that happen. Paper money has to be green on back, and darker on front. The public probably would raise a big stink if they tried that. But yes, it would help quite a bit, and make them easier to see when you dropped them at night, as well.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by Profane+MuthaFucka · 2004-10-01 06:14 · Score: 4, Insightful

And, a currency not backed by gold won't be suddenly and disastrously devalued in about 50 years when the first nanobot gold miner starts extracting copious amounts of gold atoms from seawater.

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Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by torpor · 2004-10-01 06:17 · Score: 3, Insightful

you want indestructible? try aussie currency .. the requirements for aussie $ are much more demanding than for Greenback$ ..

(its got holograms.)

--
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by JohnFluxx · 2004-10-01 06:44 · Score: 3, Informative

normal holograms are trivial to copy.
do a contact copy - place the blank hologram on top of one you want to copy, and fire a laser at it :)
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by torpor · 2004-10-01 06:53 · Score: 2, Informative

How do you know it is more robust? Have you used both currencies?

Why yes, I have. Aussie money I can go surfing with, diving, swim all day, enter the desert, no problems. Get back to the beach, buy my mates beer. Money is fully intact.

U.S. greenbacks, even the new ones .. erm .. no.

(Aussie dollars are plastic, though, so ..)

--
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by mreed911 · 2004-10-01 07:18 · Score: 5, Interesting

There are a lot of people out there who will not see the potential ramifications of their actions, and think that it is a fun test. "Can I make somebody take a fake $20?"

The guys across the hall from me in college did this. Realized that the optical scanners in vending machines in those days (they'd just started taking dollars) only scanned in black and white and were doing pattern recognition. They copied a bunch of bills and used them all over campus. Morons, though - they used MOST of them in the machines in our OWN dorm.

These causal counterfitters are the hardest ones to catch. Especially the "smart" ones who only do it once or twice. If you keep it up, you will get caught. The Feds are our protection against professional counterfitters, more than the nature of the bill.

Yep - the Secret Service enjoys finding counterfeiters... just ask my /former/ college buddies.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by Your+Anus · 2004-10-01 08:10 · Score: 3, Informative

Yes. Go to Suprnova.org and search for the "banknote patch" torrent.

--

In the USA, we like stuff watered down, like beer, television, and freedom.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by swb · 2004-10-01 09:03 · Score: 4, Interesting

If you keep it up, you will get caught.

I've always thought (note to Secret Service: as thought experiment only, never acted on) that you could keep up small-time counterfeiting for years without a lot of problems.

Where people seem to get in trouble is when they get greedy and want a lot of money fast.

Instead, you'd think you could generate a small amount of cash (say, $200 a week) via change machines and probably spend another $200 or so in other coin/bill operated machines and as direct cash in various high-traffic cash situations (parking garages, bars, food stands, etc) where the volume of transactions eliminates any verification options.

You'd never want to use denominations over $10 (although some isolated change machines or co-ops might take $20s), especially for cash transactions, and probably never more than a single bill at a time.

It basically serves as "walking around" money -- $200-$400 per week in cash that won't show up as assets to the IRS or arouse any suspicion. In a large city with more change machines, you might be able to generate more cash, although to be safe you'd want to minimize your visits to the same change machines.

Anyway, this always occured to me as the "safe" way to counterfeit. The level of money generated stays below everyone's radar screen, the denominations are small enough and involve enough machines that they might not even be found to be counterfeit until they were so far removed from the transaction as to be impossible to trace without a level of effort that wouldn't pay off.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by GreenKiwi · 2004-10-01 10:09 · Score: 2, Informative

Why didn't he just squirt water in the dollar bill slot? It has the added benefit of releasing all or most of the coins in the system.
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by I,+Trevor · 2004-10-01 10:22 · Score: 3, Interesting

Anyway, this always occured to me as the "safe" way to counterfeit. The level of money generated stays below everyone's radar screen, the denominations are small enough and involve enough machines that they might not even be found to be counterfeit until they were so far removed from the transaction as to be impossible to trace without a level of effort that wouldn't pay off.
Interesting theory, give it a try and let us know how it worked out when you're released from custody. The problem with this thinking is that enforcement is prioritized according to:
(1) the per-incident economic impact (e.g. a suitcase of $50 bills vs. a single bogus $10 bill)
(2) a discernible pattern to the incidence of counterfeit-bill complaints, particularly if the aggregate impact of the fake bills is significant
(3) the likelihood of an incident investigation leading to a source of counterfeit currency
That said, even if one were to optimize for each of the above, you run the very real risk of coming to the attention of an agent with time to pursue a lower-priority investigation.
Counterfeiting US currency, particularly in these times of heightened security awareness, is about one of the highest-risk paths to ill-gotten gains I can think of. Based on comments made to me by FBI agents with relevant experience, the risk/reward ratio for a single well-planned bank robbery is significantly better than any appreciably lucrative counterfeiting scheme anyone has come up with yet.
Entertainingly enough, most bank robbers are sufficiently deluded by their first success that they try to parlay that into a series of successes. This character weakness is generally how non-violent bank robbers get caught.
-Trevor
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by duffahtolla · 2004-10-01 10:39 · Score: 2, Interesting

I've always thought (note to Secret Service: as thought experiment only, never acted on) that you could keep up small-time counterfeiting for years without a lot of problems.
Don't count on it.
I cant find any references now, but I remember reading about a counterfeiter who the secret service hunted for many years (decades?). He was never caught, but was finally identified after his death (old age), since they found his printing press. He drove the secret service nuts and was one of the longest sought counterfeiters ever.
The guy only did ones and fives, and only enough to live on. And he never spent too much in a single store.
But even so, they were still looking for him..
Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... by JohnFluxx · 2004-10-01 12:30 · Score: 2, Interesting

I've been modded informative, so it seems someone is interested.

A quick explanation why this works:

The laser goes though the "blank hologram" (which is a piece of glass with some chemicals on it), then hits the hologram behind. The light from the hologram behind bounces back. Now you have the original incomming light, and the reflected light. The two interfere, and make an interference pattern. The chemicals capture this interference pattern. now when you shine light through it, the light interferes with the interference pattern, and replays the hologram image. (The hologram plate stores the XOR, for you computer scientists)

Damn by BgJonson79 · 2004-10-01 05:13 · Score: 5, Funny

I mis-read the title. I thought Uncle Sam was going to give me $50 for downloading stuff. If it was pr0n, I'd be set for life.

--

There are four boxes used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order.

Re:Damn by mrn121 · 2004-10-01 05:15 · Score: 5, Funny

I mis-read the title. I thought Uncle Sam was going to give me $50 for downloading stuff. If it was pr0n, I'd be set for life.
See, and I thought that it meant that the government was gonna CHARGE me $50 for downloads. If it was pr0n, I would be screwed for life.
Re:Damn by chill · 2004-10-01 05:19 · Score: 5, Funny

If you were screwed for life, you wouldn't need the pr0n!

--
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
Re:Damn by Wybaar · 2004-10-01 06:00 · Score: 3, Funny

Just wait. I'm sure that's on somebody's plans for DMCA 2: The Search for More Money.

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Y|

images by MankyD · 2004-10-01 05:16 · Score: 5, Informative

Not sure if these are exactly what are being referred to, but here are pdf images of the $50 and $20:

$50 front
$50 back
$20 front

--
-dave
http://millionnumbers.com/ - own the number of your dreams

Re:images by nomadic · 2004-10-01 05:38 · Score: 4, Funny

"Uhh, sure it's a real bill, look, it has a picture of President Ulysses S. Specimen on it!"
Re:images by MankyD · 2004-10-01 06:44 · Score: 2, Informative

Only certain printers and software mark them as non-printable. If you're printer is more then even two or three years old, it very well may work. I would bet there's even current printers that allow them to be printed - though the manufacturer will never label this as a feature.

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-dave
http://millionnumbers.com/ - own the number of your dreams

How many? by dmuth · 2004-10-01 05:17 · Score: 4, Interesting

I wonder how many stupid kids with color pritners are gonna try printing these up anyway, trying them out in change machines, and do other stupid things with them?

Re:How many? by Kenja · 2004-10-01 05:25 · Score: 4, Funny

"I wonder how many stupid kids with color pritners are gonna try printing these up anyway, trying them out in change machines, and do other stupid things with them?"
Almost as many as the number of stupid 7-11 etc clerks that will except the copies.

--

"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Re:How many? by Nuclear+Elephant · 2004-10-01 05:30 · Score: 4, Interesting

If they were smart, they'd realize this is the perfect time to counterfeit OLD $20 bills, when nobody's really concerned about them.

Open sourcing the $50? by otisg · 2004-10-01 05:18 · Score: 4, Funny

Are they open-sourcing the $50 bill? Can we fork it?

--
Simpy

Re:Open sourcing the $50? by Kenja · 2004-10-01 05:28 · Score: 3, Funny

"Are they open-sourcing the $50 bill? Can we fork it?"
Yes, but the forked version will be incompatible with most peoples systems.

--

"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"

Counterfiting by Ziak · 2004-10-01 05:18 · Score: 5, Informative

Couterfiting occurs because people are careless, yes the technology helps prevent it somewhat, but after working as a cashier in my midteens I was amased to how my fellow coworks would get fake bills and accept it... some of them looked so fake it was unbelivable.... also when i worked as a cahsier i noticed that these pens ( our only tool we where told to use to prevent counterfits) could easily able to give the wrong results on conterfits by just simply coating the paper with a fake plastic not enough to really feel it because of this it never alowed the ink to change color idefenying counterfit...

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Loading Please Wait....

Just to compare by Sophrosyne · 2004-10-01 05:19 · Score: 5, Informative

Here are the new Canadian 20$ bills.
the site has some info on the new security features on this bill- there are also new 100$ bills, the only thing missing is new $50 bills.

$50 download? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-01 05:19 · Score: 2, Funny

Crap, I thought they had pirated software on their website... :-(

Re:Hey, what about the Zlotych? by jmays · 2004-10-01 05:19 · Score: 2, Funny

You forgot Poland!!

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KARMA TAG! You're it.

Obligatory Simpsons by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-01 05:19 · Score: 5, Funny

Our money is so gay!
-Brazilian kidnappers.

Taking RFID to a new level? by thedillybar · 2004-10-01 05:20 · Score: 5, Funny

Photoshop'd image here.

Laugh. It's funny.

50s by coyotedata · 2004-10-01 05:22 · Score: 3, Funny

We are just a step away from Monopoly Money becoming the the Official US Currency.

moneyfactory.com?! by Animats · 2004-10-01 05:23 · Score: 5, Interesting

It's wierd that the Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing has the web site moneyfactory.com. The web site itself is even wierder. Uncut currency? Framed bills? Custom serial numbers? 5lb bags of shredded currency? It's like the Franklin Mint, only cheezier.

Re:moneyfactory.com?! by g1zmo · 2004-10-01 05:40 · Score: 3, Interesting

If you go to one of the currency plants there is a gift shop where you can buy all of these things and more. I've never been to the one in D.C., but I have been to the one near my home in Fort Worth, TX (these are the only two places in the world where U.S. money is printed). I have an uncut sheet of $1 bills hanging in a frame on my wall. I also have a few bags of the shredded money you mentioned, as well as a clicky-pen with shredded money in it and probably a few other cheesy things too. My father gave me this stuff when the plant was being built a few years back (maybe 10 years ago???) because he was an architect that worked on the building. He also took me and my brothers on the public tour, which was pretty neat. I've never seen so much money in my life - pallets of currency stacked 6-8 feet high, with millions of dollars just sitting there.

--
I have found there are just two ways to go.
It all comes down to livin' fast or dyin' slow. -REK, Jr.

Sounds like a Challenge to me by INeededALogin · 2004-10-01 05:25 · Score: 5, Insightful

Precisely how the technology works is a mystery.

The Article really makes me want find a way around this technology. I don't want to produce fake money, but more to the point of computer road-blocks are just not cool.

Some ideas that don't leave me with a less-usable computer:

Why not have a bar-code on every dollar bill that can validate each bill. If a serial comes up in the same place more than once, then it is fake and disabled. This would be a global database, but not unrealistic.

Why not continue the push for less paper money. Paper is nice, but it is expensive due to the short length of usage. Usually, the coined money is easily worth its value so producing a fake penny/quarter is not very worth while.

Stop using money altogether. Credit cards!

It just bothers me that the government is solving problems by disabling technology instead of leveraging it.

Re:Sounds like a Challenge to me by hrieke · 2004-10-01 05:31 · Score: 3, Insightful

Because there are times when I would like to keep my transactions private.
Cash is anonymous, credit and every other type you've mention are not.

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III.IIVIVIXIIVIVIIIVVIIIIXVIIIXIIIIIIIIVIIIIVVIIIV IIVIIIIIIVIII...
Re:Sounds like a Challenge to me by poot_rootbeer · 2004-10-01 06:16 · Score: 2, Interesting

If a serial comes up in the same place more than once, then it is fake and disabled. This would be a global database, but not unrealistic.

No, that would be very unrealistic. Here's just a few reasons why:

1. If two bills have the same serial number, one of them (the non-counterfeit) is still legal tender.

2. You'd basically have to require every location that accepts cash transactions, from your bank to the hotdog cart on the corner, to be jacked into a secure financial network. Where's the infrastructure for it?

3. Even if flea market vendors and busboys get online, how quickly can we expect updates to be propagated? Think routing tables times a billion. If a store can only send out a log of what bills it received and gave out once a week, that means counterfeits may only be identified once a week, even if other stores sent out updates twice an hour. By then, the bill-passers have gotten away cleanly and some poor sucker is left holding the bag.

4. Security concerns. If the government knows which bills were involved in transactions where, and at what time, how easy would it be to take the next step and force banks to tie those transactions to specific people? The beauty of cash in this climate of debit and credit cards is anonymity.

If you want to think that architecting a global tracking database of a logistical complexity that has never been attempted in history is preferable to a specific software vendor implementing a feature at the government's request, I can't stop you. But some relative context would be good.

Where did CNN come up with this idea? by JUSTONEMORELATTE · 2004-10-01 05:26 · Score: 4, Interesting

I've been all over the treasury dept's web site, and I can't find anywhere that they offer images for artists, students and others who discover that their computers, scanners or printers won't allow them to view or copy pictures of the new currency.

They've got images up, as MankyD has pointed out, but the whole point seems to be educating people on how to recognize the bills, and how to find the anti-counterfeit gadgets. How did CNN come up with this spin?

--
Free gmail invites

Eliminates Most Complaints About Technology by TheFlyingGoat · 2004-10-01 05:31 · Score: 4, Interesting

Most of the complaints about the anti-copying technology were about using them in art projects, making parodies, etc. Now that people can download copies, in addition to being able to use the graphics in their projects, they can skip having to scan them.

I did a project in high school a while back on counterfeiting, and anti-counterfeiting techniques. One of the experts in a Nova video said that as computer printers get better, the concern won't be the large scale counterfeiters, since they're easier to track down due to the large volume and equipment needed. It would be people on their home computers scanning money and reprinting it. This was 10-12 years ago, when inexpensive printers didn't have the capability to print that well yet. Not sure if that prediction came true (don't have the SS/Treasury numbers onhand), but it's an interesting historical account.

--
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. --Winston Churchill

Almost as secure as Canadian money by asoap · 2004-10-01 05:33 · Score: 5, Funny

Finally the U.S. money is now using 8 year old Canadian technology.

What are they going to do next? Put kids playing baseball on the five dollar bill???

-Derek

--
Treat me like a marketing stat, and I'll treat your movie like a series of ones and zeros

Screw the scanner... by seanmeister · 2004-10-01 05:33 · Score: 5, Interesting

"Now to go and test my new Epson scanner and printer to see if they're affected!"

Screw that, I want to test my new microwave oven to see if Grant's eyes explode!

Re:moneyfactory.com? by AKnightCowboy · 2004-10-01 05:34 · Score: 5, Funny

Why is our government allowed to use .com addresses?

Because .com is what web sites are. I mean, you've never heard of http://something.org have you? Sheesh. Web sites are in .com. *rolls eyes*

Here's how they detect the currency... by bchernicoff · 2004-10-01 05:35 · Score: 5, Informative

There are a series of 5 circles in a specific pattern... in the case of the new $50 it's the zeros in all the little "50"'s on the back.

Here's more info.

Re:Here's how they detect the currency... by bob+beta · 2004-10-01 10:52 · Score: 3, Interesting

What's so uncool about that? If everybody uses it as a 'protest' feature it will flood the vendors with complaints.

In some ways, it's similar to a trick I pulled when someone at work started putting their initials on Semiconductor data books. He 'claimed' the manuals that vendors had delivered and wanted nobody else to remove them from his area. He did this by marking the book edge with his initials.

So I quietly put his initials on every databook and manual I could find anywhere in the company. They all then had his initials and the ones he 'claimed' were indistinguisable from any others.

In other ways it's not similar, of course.

--
"What's the frequency Kenneth?"

Re:Obligatory by generic-man · 2004-10-01 05:36 · Score: 3, Funny

George W. Bush is on the fake $200 bill, which was passed around as recently as last month.

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For more information, click here.

New excuse by JamesP · 2004-10-01 05:38 · Score: 2, Funny

I was SHARING the $50, SHARING, I'm not a thief!!!

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how long until /. fixes commenting on Chrome?

Photoshop CS does prevent opening! by kidventus · 2004-10-01 05:40 · Score: 5, Interesting

If you download the PDF and save it as a JPG or GIF and try to load it in Photoshop you will get the following text:
"This application does not support the unauthorized processing of banknote images
For more information, select the information button below for Internet-Based information for restrictions on copying or distributing banknote images or go to www.rulesforuse.org"
However, Apple's image preview software opens it fine, as does it's PDF viewer (same software, called "Preview")
Very disturbing to play with and see how your use of your computer has been taken over by government secret methods that large corporations have agreed to.
Very 1984... you don't know your software has been compromised until it's already too late.

--
There is a rage in me to defy the order of the stars, despite their pretty patterns.

"SPECIMEN" text can easily be removed by Jagasian · 2004-10-01 05:40 · Score: 4, Informative

Opening up the PDF in xpdf for Linux causes the bill to be rendered and a few seconds later, the red colored "SPECIMEN" text is written ontop of the bill. It should be hard to remove this top layer, resulting in a government provided digital copy of a $50 bill. Lovely.

Didn't the government acidentally make this mistake with CIA documents that had people's names blacked out with a separate top layer, that was easily removed?

Re:"SPECIMEN" text can easily be removed by hrieke · 2004-10-01 06:30 · Score: 3, Informative

Did it in windows in 5 seconds with Adobe AB Standard V6.
Click on the menu item "Advanced" -> "Export All Images..." -> save in some location.

Done sans the red 'Specimen' text.

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III.IIVIVIXIIVIVIIIVVIIIIXVIIIXIIIIIIIIVIIIIVVIIIV IIVIIIIIIVIII...
Re:"SPECIMEN" text can easily be removed by Ironsides · 2004-10-01 07:23 · Score: 2, Informative

Those PDF's are not high quality and are actually affecte by some of the anti-counterfit measures.

Examples from the front of the 50:
Grants Forehead, notice the circles, that is from a scanner mis-interpreg the lines on hte bill. There are more example sof this on his cheaks, the red and blue areas and his overcoat. They weren't stupid when they made the PDFs.

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Fly me to the moon Let me sing among those stars Let me see what spring is like On jupiter and mars
Re:"SPECIMEN" text can easily be removed by Derek+Pomery · 2004-10-01 09:04 · Score: 2, Informative

pdfimages Glossy-back-web.pdf 50b
gimp 50b-000.ppm

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-- perl -e'print pack"H*","6e656d6f406d38792e6f7267"' /. ate my old sig. Bastards.

Anti-counterfit measures by lsblogs · 2004-10-01 05:40 · Score: 5, Insightful

Sounds like a law that has not been well thought out at all.

There are countless graphics packages out there, that can be used instead of the major players.

There are indefinate supplies of older scanners that are not protected, not to mention digital cameras.

I am pretty sure that the major players who counterfit, will just get cracked versions of software or use alternatives, meaning all this is doing is bloating legitimate users software for no real reason.

The software is provided free, which means it would be relatively easy for a skilled but crooked developer to disable the checks, specially as you would know what you are looking for!

Is it also pushing the price of hardware up, if they have to include extra memory to hold this software, or is it in the scanner software - computer side?

I really dont see this stopping anyone other than a total amatuer from scanning banknotes (and may even cause more problems, as if an amateur cant do a bad copy themselves they may look into more professional means of forging. I would rather they did a bad home copy, tried to use it and got caught - meaning one less idiot on the streets forging money).

Perhaps they would have been better off keeping the whole thing secret, so no one knows about it, and then have the software log all scans of banknotes into a central database, so the police could keep an eye on who is scanning notes. If forgeries appear in the area, they would know who was to blame......

ken

http://www.lsblogs.com/ Submit your blog for free, find blogs and blog resources at ls blogs

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Free Blog submission, find blogs, tools and more at LS Blogs

waste of fake money. by napa1m · 2004-10-01 05:42 · Score: 3, Interesting

What's to stop you from scanning 1/4 of a bill at a time and reassembling it? What about all of those drivers and software pre-anti-counterfitting? What about analog copying?

The whole "you can't scan this bill" program seems like a complete waste of taxpayer money and puts an unnecessary burden on software makers. Why didn't they take that money and invest it in making the bills themselves more secure like many European and Asian bills?

These latest revisions are a step but it's still pretty easy to print up counterfits and pull a fast one on some unsuspecting shop owner.

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^nA! Creatures in my Head

open sesame by Doc+Ruby · 2004-10-01 05:43 · Score: 3, Funny

Holy shit, we're slashdotting the US Treasury! We've come a long way from Fort Knox to "MoneyFactory".com. Spend these $50s, fake or not, while they're still worth something!

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--
make install -not war

"SPECIMEN" text can easily be removed by Jagasian · 2004-10-01 05:44 · Score: 3, Interesting

Opening up the PDF in xpdf for Linux causes the bill to be rendered and a few seconds later, the red colored "SPECIMEN" text is written ontop of the bill. It should not be hard to remove this top layer, resulting in a government provided digital copy of a $50 bill. Lovely.

Didn't the government acidentally make this mistake with CIA documents that had people's names blacked out with a separate top layer, that was easily removed?

Ugly bills buy beer by hellfire · 2004-10-01 05:44 · Score: 2, Funny

they aren't exactly new, but in the race to make the worlds ugliest currency- I think Australia is winning by far.

The harder it is to counterfeit, the better. I don't care what it looks like as long as I can purchase a proper case of beer before the game on Sunday.

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"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

It's the Eurion. by Pig+Hogger · 2004-10-01 05:48 · Score: 2, Informative

It's called the Eurion constellation .

And it's proeminently visible in the $50 back picture of the new US bills.

Reminds me of a story... by Doesn't_Comment_Code · 2004-10-01 05:55 · Score: 5, Funny

One man decided to counterfeit some money on his computer, so he printed off some high quality images of $20 bills. They looked good, but the new $20's have a hologram on them. So he got a roll of twenty dollar bills and cut out the holograms to past onto his counterfeits.

There you have it... All this anti-counterfeiting technology is working.

p.s. To my knowledge, this story is true.

--

Slashdot Syndrome: the sudden, extreme urge to correct someone in order to validate one's self.

Re:moneyfactory.com? by Pig+Hogger · 2004-10-01 05:55 · Score: 5, Funny

Why is our government allowed to use .com addresses? They're not a company, for-profit or otherwise.

Not for profit? Shit, they make ***ALL*** the money that's in the U.S.!!!!

simple fix by Tired_Blood · 2004-10-01 05:56 · Score: 2, Insightful

When the current equipment doesn't work: dust off the old equipment.

The big problem not directly addressed however...

No matter how often they change the appearance of the currency: if an older (and easier to copy) version is still being accepted, then why bother counterfeiting the new ones? I mean, everyone still accepts the pre-1996 $20 bills worldwide.

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This is not my sig.

Re:simple fix by DisasterDoctor · 2004-10-01 06:40 · Score: 3, Interesting

Actually, living overseas in central Asia (Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) I actually experienced something a little different than this. The very day that the new U.S. bills were introduced (several years ago), none of the money changers in the local bazaars would accept the bills anymore. It was a really weird.

Challenge... How I would do it. by anubi · 2004-10-01 05:59 · Score: 2, Interesting

I dunno about the new scanners out there.. but in cases where I wanted extremely high detail on an image, I have always brought it into my lab where I have a video camera attached to a microscope.

Now, the image I can scan at one time isn't very large, maybe an area about the size of a pencil eraser at lowest magnification, but I would scan. step, repeat, and tile the resultant images.

I am sure that given proper incentive, I could modify the microscope's stage to automate the step and repeat function, as for now its still simple XY drive screws that position the sample under the lens.

Yes, it would take quite some time to do it right. It wouldn't surprise me if it took all night to do it.

But then, I don't know of any technology to defeat such a thing.

You see, I don't just do RGB, I can use any colors, including non-visible, on this setup. The camera itself is wideband mono. I flood the sample with whatever color of light I choose. Normal color photos involves a still sample and three captures, one each of red, green, and blue, which are subsequently overlaid as colors.

I routinely may look at things in infrared or ultraviolet. I can't see it but the camera can. Doing this, I can make "false color" images for things like failure analyses. Things that aren't visible in our eye's sensitive area of the light spectrum often are visible somewhere else in the spectrum.

About using credit cards... uhhh,,, that's the tinfoil hat nightmare. Cash is just about the only anonymous way to transfer wealth left. Just about anything else is traceable, hence, taxable. Unless, of course, you wanna go buy them something on your account and give them the something you bought for them.

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"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]

So what about the old bills? by ksheff · 2004-10-01 06:00 · Score: 3, Insightful

This isn't going to make that much difference as long as vendors keep accepting the old bills that can be copied. Sure, the banks will be instructed to turn in the old ones to be shredded and replaced with the new ones, so in the long term any old bills may be treated with suspicion, but how long will that take?

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the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs

Only US currency? by INeededALogin · 2004-10-01 06:01 · Score: 2, Interesting

if you live in Florida... don't make a Florida Fake-ID. Same principle for making fake money?

Why not make Thai Currency and then just do a currency exchange on it? Problem solved and I end up with super read, super secure American money.

ms paint works by uberjoe · 2004-10-01 06:01 · Score: 3, Interesting

Here's my little test: 1. Opened pdf 2. hit print scrn button (screen shot) 3. opened ms paint, I'm at work, no linux :( 4. pasted screen shot 5. printed screen shot 6. have fake $50 Boy was that tough.

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The days of the digital watch are numbered.

protect my own documents by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-01 06:07 · Score: 3, Interesting

So, can I use that too to copy-protect my own documents, just by including those circle-patterns in my logo, for example ?

Re:protect my own documents by c0dedude · 2004-10-01 08:22 · Score: 2, Informative

actually, yes. Yep, you can. Have fun. (only works on b/w copiers, tho.

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Since when has this country used intellectual elite as a pejorative term?

Re:They won't copy it b/c it's ugly... (Eurion) by Kenshin · 2004-10-01 06:14 · Score: 3, Insightful

The difference is that the "Eurion" pattern, as it's called, is done TASTEFULLY on other country's notes.

On the US notes it looks like an afterthought, stamped-on in a rush.

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Does it make you happy you're so strange?

No. Yes. by temojen · 2004-10-01 06:20 · Score: 2, Informative

Ithica hours

Saltspring Dollars

LETS

An overview of alternative currencies

Linux is my friend by TheRealJFM · 2004-10-01 06:39 · Score: 2, Insightful

seriously, how is this going to affect opensource image editing?

will SANE stop you scanning these notes?
will GIMP block based on this "secret" pattern?

clearly not, as this shows. (GIMPed with SPECIMEN removed, but intentionally low res)

The protection is pretty weak if a user can get around it simply by downloading a different graphics program or a patch. Certainly a skilled counterfieter will be able to work around this.

Now, if this were hardware based, then it would be pretty formidible. You could still get around it though if you really wanted to - and don't the sort of people who are going to do this on a big scale really want to?

--
Joseph Farthing
http://josephfarthing.com

Re:Linux is my friend by plover · 2004-10-01 07:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

Well, it won't stop open source users unless they download and install the GIMP Currency Blocker Plugin. I heard someone posted a diff that would disable it, too. :-)
All joking aside, they're not looking to "stop" all copying with this measure at this time. They're looking at it statistically: if 50% of the population is too stupid to change their default screensaver, that same 50% won't be aware that there's an alternative to commercial photo editing software. That means they are probably hoping for a 50% reduction in 'casual' counterfeiting.
It's also been theorized that recognition of the so-called "Eurion" constellation will be built into a new generation of scanners. So, if you own one of these scanners, you won't have the opportunity to download the raw image anyway -- you'll be stopped by the firmware in the scanner. Xerox was also testing printer technology that would refuse to emit a printout that contained the Eurion constellation.
It actually makes a lot of sense from the governments' point of view. If you're Joe Sixpack and decide to "print your own lunch money" and get busted for it, you get to spend up to 20 years in a Federal prison for counterfeiting. That's the exact same sentence they'd hand out to a Mafioso who may have set up an intaglio printing press and was printing hundreds of thousands per week.
If someone is so stupid as to try printing counterfeit money, then maybe a simple, stupid technological speed-bump is all it will take to keep him out of prison. And from their point of view, that's worth it.

--
John
Re:Linux is my friend by plover · 2004-10-01 09:02 · Score: 2, Insightful

You mean like the "FBI WARNING" at the front of every video tape and DVD I've rented in the last decade? Or the "No broadcast, rebroadcast or retransmission is allowed without the express written consent of Major League Baseball" line uttered at the start of every baseball game? I'm not sure those are all that useful.
The biggest problem I have with those messages are the people that would heed their warnings are those that would have done the right thing anyway.
Here's a better idea. How about a "Surgeon General's Warning" style rectangle right on the face of the bills that says something like this:
TREASURY SECRETARY'S WARNING: COPYING MONEY IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE THAT CARRIES A PENALTY OF 20 YEARS IN FEDERAL POUND-ME-IN-THE-ASS PRISON!
I think that would be far more effective at getting their message out than implementing funky image-detecting software.

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John
Re:Linux is my friend by Muhammar · 2004-10-01 10:48 · Score: 2, Interesting

Old Czar-era roubles did have exactly that. On a 50-rouble note from 1908 (very impressive looking, with Catherine the Great) the tiny text line within the bar under the picture of the Emperor reads something like "Counterfighting of the bank notes is punished by forced labor and exile in Siberia" (I recently gave the note away to my russian ex-boss so I do not have the text verbatim)

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I doubt that we will ever figure out - and I suspect that even if we did figure out we couldn't do much about it

Coins v. Bills v. Cards by cryptochrome · 2004-10-01 06:46 · Score: 2, Interesting

On a similar note, I was thinking about the nature of paper money vs. coins, considering whether it's easier to carry around dollar coins vs. dollar bills, and had to ask myself - if one or the other is generally more convenient, then why are we using both?

coins - compact, very durable. Harder to fake in some ways, easier in others (slugs in vending machines). A quarter weighs 5.7 grams, a dime 2.3 grams (everything below that is pretty much useless these days, and really we should be using 20 and 50 cent pieces for various reasons)

bills - lighter weight, more sophisticated anti-counterfeit measures, but the features hardest to fake are the ones generally ignored. Large flat size means they need to be protected by something, and folded to fit into pocket. Uses a relatively durable paper, and plastic notes are available that are even more durable, but not nearly as durable as coins. Why aren't they using bar codes for serial numbers? Can be rolled into a very compact tube. Weighs 1.0 gram.

but what about...
cards - sophisticated anti-counterfeit (including electronic, physical, and visual) options available. Lightweight but durable and compact. Plastic credit card weighs 4.7 grams. Paper business card weighs 1.0 grams.

If we used cards instead of bills, our money would be easier to carry around, quite durable, and could incorporate sophisticated electronic anti-counterfeit schemes like RSA authentication, embedded RFID, and so forth. Vending machines wouldn't eat or reject your money just because it's old. It could be the same weight. It allows the same hardware to read or use both "bills", credit cards, debit cards, and even cash cards - and if you used cards instead of coins, you wouldn't need anything else. This could allow people to never having to use cash at all, because there cards work everywhere. About the only downside is you wouldn't have the same thick stack of bills to shuffle through.

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---If you can't trust a nerd, who can you trust?

Economics 150... by FooAtWFU · 2004-10-01 07:01 · Score: 4, Insightful

Money is money because people believe it is money.

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The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.

um...that's not how the web works. by Run4yourlives · 2004-10-01 07:11 · Score: 2, Insightful

Would you perfer that nobody be able to view/print your webpage?

If you've got something you don't want to have others print, don't put it on your website.

The key is tin by roystgnr · 2004-10-01 08:12 · Score: 2, Funny

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to find actual tin foil in the store? Do you realize that most people have been conditioned to think of aluminum foil as equivalent to real tin foil, despite the fact that aluminum is practically transparent to mind control rays?

It isn't a coincidence, my friend. Alcoa is under Their control too...

hubris by mefus · 2004-10-01 08:30 · Score: 3, Funny

Anti-Copy Technology.

Doesn't that just make you want to try?

--
mefus
In Open Society, GPL Software frees YOU!

Though not mentioned in the link... by Madtown+PLT · 2004-10-01 20:18 · Score: 2, Informative

I was in Romania in April and found that the Romanian 10,000, 50,000 and 100,000 lei notes all have the circle patterns as well. Like Aussie currency, the Romanian currency has a plastic, waxy feel to it and coolest of all incorporates little transparent plastic windows. I thought it was funny that such measures would be taken to prevent the counterfeiting of notes worth 30 cents US. Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Turkey didn't have the circle patterns as I recall, only Romania.

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