Universal 60-second check (How to Detect Fake Banknotes)

Feel

Real notes have a distinctive substrate: cotton/linen (USD, some EUR) or polymer (AUD, CAD, GBP, newer EUR). Expect raised (intaglio) printing on key text/portraits.

    Learn the tactile “feel” using the U.S. Currency Education Program training deck and interactive notes.

    GBP: Bank of England stresses “look, tilt and feel”—not pens.

    AUD/CAD: polymer has smooth areas plus textured raised ink.
    Sources: USCurrency.gov, Bank of England guide, Bank of Canada, RBA Banknotes.

Look

Inspect portraits, edges, and fine lines. Genuine microtext is sharp, not blurry. On polymer, check any clear window for integrated elements (not glued-on plastic).

Tilt

Look for color-shifting ink and dynamic effects (moving birds on AUD, shimmering foils on EUR/GBP, 3D blue ribbon on the U.S. $100).
Source: USCurrency.gov “How to Check Your Money” deck. (U.S. Currency Education Program)

Check with light

Hold to light: watermarks, security threads, and see-through features should appear crisp and embedded, not printed on.
Sources: ECB euro features (see PDF poster), [Bank of England “Take a closer look” PDF]. (European Central Bank, Bank of England)

Skip detector pens. Bank of England explicitly notes they don’t spot counterfeits printed on polymer. Use the checks above instead. (Bank of England)

source: https://darknetbanknotes.com/how-to-spot-counterfeit-money-complete-guide-for-aud-cad-eur-gbp-usd/