How to spot fake money

James Ryan Jonas

Do you know what makes a Philippine Peso bill a fake?

If you don’t, these pointers from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on how to spot fake currency will definitely come in handy.

  • Genuine currency notes are a bit rough in texture while counterfeit bills are very smooth.
  • Genuine bills also have embossed watermarks. They have window security thread, colored green to magenta when exposed to light.
  • For P10 and P5, genuine coins are not magnetic, have deep “griddings”, and made of smooth, fine metal. Designs of counterfeit coins are off-centered.
  • Genuine one centavo to P1 coins can either be magnetic or non-magnetic. But the BSP said no coins of such denomination have been faked yet.
  • Lastly, authentic currencies don’t have Manny Pacquiao’s face. Well, not yet, that is…
James Ryan Jonas teaches business management, investments, and entrepreneurship at the University of the Philippines (UP). He is also the Executive Director of UP Provident Fund Inc., managing and investing P3.2 Billion ($56.4 Million) worth of retirement funds on behalf of thousands of UP employees.