Fake Money vs. Counterfeit Money: Know the Difference

Fake money and counterfeit money are two very different things.  Fake money, also known as novelty money, is a fun gag, or interesting gift or novelty possession.  Counterfeit money, on the other hand, is money printed with the intention of being used as currency.

Counterfeit money is money that is used to fool others.  It is used to pay for goods or services without actually being real money.  Fake money, on the other hand, is used as an entirely different possession.  It is a novelty item, a gag gift, or a silly trinket.  It is never printed with the intention of fooling others.  Getting others to laugh maybe, but not fooling them.

The Difference Between the Two

So how does one tell the difference between counterfeit money and fake money?  For starters, fake money is very obviously fake money.  It has all sorts of disclaimers on it that show that it is fake, such disclaimers being made obvious to the consumer and printed legibly on the paper.  Fake money also tends to have a certain, peculiar look to it that shows that it is fake.  The color of the ink, the size of the actual bill, the quality of the paper, all of these things tend to make for a pretty obvious fake.

There are a lot of signs of counterfeit bills, though these signs are much more difficult to come by than the signs on fake money are.  Counterfeit bills will often have certain things off about them too, such as no color shifting in the numerical digits on the bill, no raised printing where there should be raised printing, or the bill having blurry or not sharp lines and printings.  Counterfeit money will often not have the iconic watermark that can be seen when the bill is held up to the light.  There are more ways to tell a fake bill, many of which can be found here.

Fake money is not printed to be used as money, so fake money sellers usually sell the bills with goofy designs or sentimental images on them to make them personal and fun for people.  Very obviously not legal tender.  Fake or novelty money is meant to be given as gifts or kept for oneself.  Fake money clearly states on it that it is fake, and the creators of such money go to great lengths to ensure that the bills are not misunderstood as being real, legitimate currency.  Besides, since fake money is usually a real hoot, it’s hard to take it seriously when you’re laughing just from looking at it!