With the correct formulation, the pen works on the Euro, Pound, Japanese Yen, Chinese Renminbi, Swiss Franc and many others.
The industry standard Dri Mark pen is available in both US and Universal formulations. This is generally due to the concentration of iodine. Many of the counterfeit detector pens sold in the USA are specifically formulated for the US Dollar and will not work on other money. Make sure that the formulation specifies “international, or “universal”. Some counterfeit detector pens work on many of the major currencies. While this type of counterfeit is rare, it’s a potential problem for retailers, banks, and the Secret Service.Ĭan Counterfeit Detector Pens be used on the Euro, Peso, Yen, or other international paper money? Incidentally, there are some governments such as Iran that have found a way in the past to obtain currency paper stock and have manufactured “super bills” which are nearly impossible to detect by the pen, but also by higher technologies.
This is far from the most common form of counterfeiting, but it is significant enough that many retailers choose to supplement use of the pen with some other detection methods. What’s left is a blank piece of correctly sized currency paper which is then overprinted with a higher denomination, usually a $20, $50 or $100. This begins to dissolve the ink and the counterfeiter then scrapes off the rest with steel wool. They take a $1.00 bill and soak it in a tray of heavy solvent, such as acetone (nail polish remover). In fact, the bills are not really bleached at all. One method counterfeiters use to defeat the pen is by a process commonly known as “bill bleaching”. Of course, this has not stopped some counterfeiters from trying to get their hands on the paper. Crane’s will not sell it to anyone but the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing. So why don’t counterfeiters just use currency paper? When you mark on a counterfeit bill, a chemical reaction occurs, and the mark turns dark. Simply put, when you mark on real money, there is no chemical reaction, and the mark stays yellow. When you make a mark on genuine money with the pen, the mark will remain pale yellow. There is zero starch content in currency paper, so the iodine will not react. Of course, US money is NOT printed on regular paper, but rather on Cranes linen and cotton paper. When you take a counterfeit detector pen and make a mark on regular paper, it will turn brown or black, indicating that there is starch in the paper. You may remember from chemistry class that iodine reacts with starch by turning the starch brown or black. The counterfeit detector pen is basically an iodine solution delivery system. Virtually, all common paper is made with refined wood pulp combined with mineral pigments and starch. Cranes paper in made entirely of linen and cotton and is therefore quite durable and resistant to tearing, read more about Cranes HERE. Cranes is a company based in New England, and they have produced US currency paper for over 250 years. Genuine US currency is printed on Cranes currency paper stock.
Air leaks can dry the markers out, or even worse, produce false test results.Ī counterfeit detector pen is a chemical test which distinguishes the type of paper used for printing money. The best quality counterfeit detector pens are made with precise fitting plastic components, which prevent air leaks. The fiber tips are usually more durable and distribute a more even flow of liquid. Marker tips are generally made of molded porous polyester but can also be crafted of extruded polyester or acrylic fiber. A “nib” (the writing tip) is inserted into the reservoir to soak up and distribute the solution to the end of the tip, which is where the solution meets the writing surface. A plastic tube is fitted with a polyester reservoir (similar to a cigarette filter) which is impregnated with a solution of solvent and iodine. Since its inception, well over 250 million counterfeit detector pens have been sold here in the USA, and hundreds of millions more throughout the world.Įssentially, a counterfeit detector pen is a marker, similar in construction to a felt tip “Flair” pen. Sales of the item doubled in each of the first 5 years, and steadily increased for over 20 years. It first appeared on the shelves in 1992, and it was an instant hit.
The first major retailer to sell this product was the well-known office superstore chain Office Depot. Since its introduction, the pen has been the most widely used and successful counterfeit detection device in history. Dri Mark was the first company to market and distribute this product and held exclusive patent rights until 2010. Dri Mark Products, a New York manufacturer of writing instruments, purchased that patent in 1991. The counterfeit detector pen was patented over 30 years ago by a Belgian inventor who moved to the USA in the 1980s.