Hal Finney writes:
The thing that makes me skeptical about this copier story is this: the money could have any orientation and position on the page. [...]
Yes. But the thing that makes _me_ skeptical is that there are many kinds of currency in the world besides the US dollar. A counterfeiter could simply copy a stack of bills that aren't in the copier's database (eg. one of the new currencies issued by countries that were part of the former Soviet Union), then head on down to the nearest foreign exchange office.
However, there is another possibility, which is to look at hte color of the bills.
This wouldn't do the job either. Our Canadian bills, for instance, come in a different color for each denomination. Bills from New Zealand and Thailand, among others, come in a range of colors _and_ sizes. So your copier would have to have quite the database... And what about changes? The Canadian mint has been altering a number of bills to add better security features. Any color copier owners out there receive mysterious, unsolicited "preventative maintenance" visits lately?
In short, I'm pretty sure that there is a lot of disinformation going around designed to scare people away from trying it.
Agreed. I think we can put an end to _this_ thread, at least! -- Martin Janzen janzen@idacom.hp.com