[INTRO MUSIC PLAYS]
HOWARD:
Hello and welcome to Noteworthy by the U.S. Currency Education Program, or CEP. My name is Howard Williams and I'm the manager of the CEP. The CEP is responsible for ensuring the integrity of and trust in the U.S. dollar by providing information and training resources to the public. Check out our website at uscurrency.gov to find free information and training resources on U.S. currency. Leading our discussion today will be Richelle Stento, who is joining us now.
RICHELLE:
Hello, welcome back to Noteworthy. I'm Richele Stento, a member of the Currency Education Program, or CEP. I lead domestic outreach and I'm excited to be here with you today. In today's episode, we'll be exploring the CEP's many free resources and materials provided to people who handle cash. These resources offer detailed insights into legal tender status, design elements, and the advanced security features used in all U.S. currency. So, whether you're a bank teller, a cashier, a casino worker, or a consumer, we're looking forward to telling you about how these resources can help you authenticate bank notes with confidence.
And in today's episode, we're joined by Owen Desberg, an intern at the CEP. Welcome Owen. Could you introduce yourself to our listeners?
OWEN:
I'd be happy to and thank you so much for having me. I'm Owen Desberg, and I've been an intern with the CEP since this past summer. I'm a senior at George Washington University, studying international affairs and economics, and I'm excited to be here today to talk about all the great resources the CEP provides to the public about U.S. currency.
RICHELLE:
Great, let's jump right into it. When I think about our resources, I find it helpful to categorize them by how cash users will use them. First, we have quick and easy to use resources for immediate needs. Second, we have more in-depth materials for those seeking a comprehensive overview of U.S. currency.
Third, we have specialized resources tailored for specific types of professional cash handlers, like bank tellers and cashiers. So, whether you are already using our materials or looking to download our newly branded resources, the CEP has something for everyone. Let's start by talking about our quick and easy to use resources on U.S. currency.
OWEN:
Great. The Quick Reference Card, Quick Reference Guide, and Know the $20 Table Tent, are all designed to give straightforward and accessible information that cash users can quickly apply when authenticating their cash, and they can all be ordered in hard copy or downloaded from the CEP website.
The Quick Reference Card highlights three ways one can quickly and discreetly check to see if a banknote is real by feeling, tilting and checking the note.
RICHELLE:
Let's expand on that a little bit. The field tilt check authentication process utilizes three steps to help to identify genuine bank notes. Feel the bill's unique cotton linen texture. Tilt it to see the note security features, like color shifting ink, and check the note for watermarks and security threads.
OWEN:
Thanks Richelle. Next, the Quick Reference Guide provides information about the security features and note identifiers on the $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes in a condensed brochure. And finally, the Know the $20 Table Tent provides an overview of the $20 bill's security features.
And, like other materials in this category we've discussed, is designed to be kept near a point of sale to quickly and discreetly provide a reference for authenticators.
RICHELLE:
Fantastic. On the topic of quick authentication, I think now is the perfect time to mention the Currency Education Program's Cash Assist mobile app. The app's denomination detector uses your mobile phone's camera to identify the denomination of the bill you are trying to authenticate. And then, the Tilt Check Simulator reveals how the security features of the banknote should appear if the note is genuine. Finally, the Quick Pick feature presents information about key features each denomination has and will direct users to uscurrency.gov for additional details.
OWEN:
Speaking of more information, let's move on to our next category of CEP resources, the ones that provide a more in-depth overview of U.S. currency. Our Decoding Dollars brochure and poster series provides a feature-by-feature look at the $20 bill and the $100 bill. We created these specific resources because the $20 and $100 notes are the most counterfeited denominations in the United States and abroad.
And these resources are perfect for displaying in a staff break room or at a point of sale. And both can be ordered in hard copy or downloaded from our website.
RICHELLE:
Posters are one of my favorite resources. They really show the level of detail in the $20 and $100 note. Another one of our in-depth resources is one of our most comprehensive brochures called Dollars in Detail. The brochure gives technical information about U.S. currency security features and note specific identifiers, like serial numbers, as well as face and backplate numbers on the $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes.
OWEN:
Finally, our last category of resources is tailored for specific types of professional cash handlers. The CEP has created toolkits for both cashiers and tellers, effectively creating a one stop shop for cash handlers by consolidating all of our information into accessible toolkits. These downloadable guides are a training resource for professionals who need to learn how to authenticate currency. They explain security features, offer tips for spotting easy to detect counterfeit notes, and make available additional CEP resources, like our online training course.
RICHELLE:
Now that you've mentioned the online training course, could you please explain to our listeners how they can use the course to learn how to identify the security features in U.S. currency and practice identifying counterfeits?
OWEN:
Sure, the course is hosted on the CEP's website and is designed to help anyone learn how to identify security features in U.S. Currency. It's perfect both for anyone just starting on their authentication journey and for seasoned cash handlers. An overview of the denominations issued by the Federal Reserve, is followed by interactive denomination specific security feature lessons that teach users what legal tender is and how to determine if currency is genuine.
RICHELLE:
And can listeners test the knowledge that they learn in the course?
OWEN:
I'm glad you asked because there is an exam at the end of the course that provides virtual tools like UV lights, magnifying glasses, and backlighting so folks can practice what they just learned.
RICHELLE:
Wonderful. We hope these training resources will give all cash users the confidence to authenticate and identify genuine U.S. currency, whether on the job or at home. Now, Owen, you've been with us since June, and you've had the opportunity to take a look at all of our resources. Do you have a favorite?
OWEN:
Well, I would say my favorite resource is one we didn't discuss yet today, our webinars. I know you just finished hosting the last set of webinars for the year, Richelle, but for our listeners, our webinars review currency authentication best practices, counterfeit trends from the United States Secret Service, and reporting procedures, along with myths and other misconceptions about U.S. currency.
RICHELLE:
Right. The webinars are such a great way for our program to engage with cash users, learn about new questions and misconceptions cash users have about currency, and get our message out to our most important audience. And they are a true team effort, from registration to presentations to our live Q& As at the end of the sessions.
OWEN:
And I think that highlights my real favorite, the CEP team itself. We at the CEP are always working to make our resources as helpful, meaningful, and up to date as possible. So, we encourage our listeners to engage with us on our website and to subscribe to our newsletter. Subscribers will be the first to hear about new materials, training opportunities, and currency news.
RICHELLE:
And with that, we've wrapped our second season of the Noteworthy podcast. We hope that after this episode and this season of Noteworthy, you've learned just how many free currency authentication resources are at your fingertips. Please stay tuned to uscurrency.gov so you don't miss out on future seasons and episodes.
And connect with us on social media to see the latest in currency news. And as always, thank you for listening to Noteworthy. See you next time.
