Central Bank of Barbados reminds shoppers and retailers to check their banknotes

CENTRAL BANK OF BARBADOS REMINDS SHOPPERS AND RETAILERS TO CHECK THEIR BANKNOTES

“The easiest way for you to be fooled by a counterfeiter is for you not to check your money.” This was the warning from Octavia Gibson, Deputy Director, Currency at the Central Bank of Barbados as she advised Barbadians to be mindful as they go about Christmas shopping.

“Barbadian banknotes have many security features that can be used to authenticate them easily and quickly. But you need to use them,” reiterated Gibson. “Hold up the note and look for the ghost image of the portrait to the left of the note, look for the note’s denomination below the ghost image and look for the solid security line down the middle of the note.”
The deputy director also revealed that while counterfeiters can try to pass fake notes at any time, there were certain situations where people should be especially vigilant. “It’s in precisely those moments when you think it’s inconvenient to check – when there are long lines, when it’s almost closing time – that they often make an attempt. The counterfeiter might be the customer rushing you because he’s in a hurry or the one buying a small item and presenting a large bill. Don’t fall for it. Check anyway.”

Gibson confirmed that the overall level of counterfeiting on the island is low but noted that on a person to person basis, any loss would be felt. It was for this reason, she explained, that the Central Bank makes information on the security features of Barbadian banknotes available to businesses and the general public free of charge and periodically reminds Barbadians to be alert when executing cash transactions.

Major features of the 2013 series:

• Two watermarks on the left of the note that become visible when the note is held up to the light. For each denomination, these watermarks are the person featured on the portrait and the note’s denomination.
• A security thread near the centre of the note. The thread initially appears as a series of bars printed from the top to the bottom of the paper, but when the note is held up to light it becomes an unbroken line that reads “CBB” and the note’s denomination. On the $2, $5, and $10, the bars are silver and wave-like, while on the $20, $50 and $100, the bars change colour from red to green when the note is tilted.
• A holographic patch on the right of the $50 and $100 note. On the $50, the main image is the pelican, while on the $100 the main image is the heraldic dolphin. When the note is tilted, that image, as well as the background images – broken tridents, Pride of Barbados flowers and the note’s denomination – appear and disappear and change colour.
• Images that glow under UV light. Under UV light, the waves and broken trident in the centre of the note fluoresce. On the $2, $5, and $10, these glow in a shade of green, while on higher denominations, they glow in two colours: pink and green ($20), green and yellow ($50) and yellow and green ($100). Tiny fibres also fluoresce under UV light and the note’s denomination appears.

Major features of the 2007 series:

• A watermark on the left of the note that features the map of Barbados. The image becomes visible when the note is held up to the light.
• A secondary watermark to the right of the primary watermark. On the $2, $5, and $10, the image is of the broken trident. On the $20, $50 and $100, the image is of the Pride of Barbados flower.
• A security thread near the centre of the note. The thread initially appears as a series of bars printed from the top to the bottom of the paper, but when the note is held up to light it becomes an unbroken line that reads “CBB” and the note’s denomination. On the $2, $5, and $10, the bars are silver and wave-like, while on the $20, $50 and $100, the bars have a silver sheen. The security thread on the higher denominations fluoresces under UV light.
• A highly reflective foil on the right of the $50 and $100. On the $50, there is an aquamarine pelican, while on the $100, there is a gold dolphin. On both notes, the foil is overprinted with the Pride of Barbados flower.

Images of the 2013 series notes and more information about the security features of this and previous series can be found on the Central Bank of Barbados website, www.centralbank.org.bb

November 25, 2014