Stolen plate from US mint used by crooks

[KathyB]

You can read all about it in a thread on another message board:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...30045&tstart=0

A "Pakistani mafioso" stole a printing plate from the US mint and used it to print bills with serial numbers starting with CB. Therefore, in a number of countries, no one will take bills that begin with CB.

This seems to be an offshoot of a genuine South American counterfeiting story where the bills did indeed begin with CB.

[Mycroft]

Two quibbles
The US Mint doesn't print notes, they only make coins (The Bureau of Engraving and Printing prints the notes)

The 'printing plates' (they don't use individual plates as seen in films, they print 32 at a time in sheets) do not include the serial number, it is added later (and in a different coloured ink).

Whilst forgers do make notes (and by the one by one method) they produce their own plates, usually with set serial numbers. If they went to the complication of printing the serial number seperately they could print any number they wanted, they would not be limited to CB.


The most common values to be forged are 10s and 20s - small enough to be readily cashable but large enough to give a high profit. Single dollar bills (and 2s) would be much easier to copy as they lack special security features found in higher denomination bills, but they would not be worth the forger's investment.

[Floater]

And:

Originally Posted by KathyB

Therefore, in a number of countries, no one will take bills that begin with CB.

So, all over the World people are telling each other "don't accept USD notes beginning with CB" and this is common knowledge among banks, shop owners, vox populi etc.

Laughable.

[Troberg]

So, all over the World people are telling each other "don't accept USD notes beginning with CB" and this is common knowledge among banks, shop owners, vox populi etc.

Laughable.

We have enough trouble telling the different denominations apart, they all look the same!