April 27: The market is sometimes provoked by circulation of counterfeit currency. Recently, counterfeit currency notes were detected coming to banks from various  channels in Pokhara. The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Pokhara branch received 91 fake bank notes till April 21 which included the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes.

The transactions of counterfeit currency are made in the market by looking for opportunity with the general public. Pokhara branch of NRB received upto 10 counterfeit currencies in a day.

Similarly, a person was arrested by police in Jajarkot with a counterfeit currency printing machine. According to Bhisma Uprety, Director of Department of Currency Management at NRB, one or two counterfeit currency is received on an average by central bank in a week to 10 days.

How to Differentiate between Counterfeit and Original ?

• The original bank notes are made of cotton and are rough and hard while counterfeit currency are glossy to touch and are loose.
• The stamp of rhododendron can be seen in original bank notes in white circle of the note while exposing it in light. However, there is only blank white circle in counterfeit currency.
• The half written NRB is clearly seen in light in original while it is not seen in counterfeit currency.
• The original bank notes are crisp when shaken near one’s ear while the sound of the counterfeit currency is dull.
• Counterfeit currency is not as bright as original bank notes. The colour of original bank notes are clear, dark and neat while the color of the counterfeit currency is dim, unclear and fading.
• The original bank note slowly changes to normal shape when grabbed by hand and left on the table, but the fake one remains distorted.
• The security thread of original bank notes is printed with NRB which is clearly seen while it is not seen in counterfeit currency.
• While shaking to either side, the step features in original bank notes gives special brightness but there is no such brightness in counterfeit currency.
• There is a technology to find out counterfeit currency in banking channels. If the counterfeit currency and original bank notes are hard to differentiate through simple ways, then there is a detector machine to find out counterfeit currency. This machine immediately rejects counterfeit currency.  Similarly, counterfeit currency can also be traced through ultra violet (UV) light and magnifying glass technology.