There is no need to counterfeit unless there is a value in doing so, which means there has to be an original in which to copy.  The secret service in America has the responsibility of shutting down operations that counterfeit the American banknotes.  In order to spot the fake, they study the original, many have tried to duplicate our currency and it is good to have a sharp eye in such matters. Let’s say you hand someone a genuine hundred dollars for a twenty-dollar item he hands you back four phony twenties in change, you just paid a hundred dollars for a twenty-dollar item that they bought for ten dollars. He is laughing all the way to the bank and you are being taken in for questioning when you go to pass it off. When traveling abroad you need to be careful you do not get stuck with counterfeit money… Read moreCounterfeiting 101