The only way to be 100 percent certain that a bill isn t counterfeit however is to use a counterfeit detection machine.
Counterfeit old 50 dollar bill.
Appears to change color when the bill is tilted can be found on 100 50 and 20 dollar bills series 1996 and later and on 10 dollar bills series 1999 and later.
Feel check with light.
If a bill with a series year before 1928 is sized 6 14 in x 2 61 in then the bill is counterfeit.
All current issue 50 bills are federal reserve notes.
The 50 note includes an embedded security thread that glows yellow when illuminated by uv light.
There are certain areas of the bill that are raised including the numbers denoting the dollar amount.
The 50 dollar bill is designed with two main features to look for in avoiding counterfeit bills.
If the bill is another dimension than 6 14 in x 2 61 in the bill is counterfeit.
Any fifty dollar bill from 1928 and newer is referred to as a small size fifty by collectors.
A fake 50 dollar bill color will come off if you scratch it with your fingers.
As of december 2013 the average life of a 50 bill in circulation is 8 5 years or approximately 102 months before it is.
The united states fifty dollar bill 50 is a denomination of united states currency the 18th u s.
You can only see it when a light source is behind the bill.
Capitol is featured on the reverse all current issue 50 bills are federal reserve notes.
To qualify as a low number the serial number should have six or seven leading zeros.
They are delivered by federal reserve banks in brown straps.
The color originally appeared to change from green to black but it goes from copper to green in recent redesigns of the bills.
As mentioned above this became the official size of the bill starting with series 1928.
Below are the features to look for when taking these bills.
Grant security thread uv security thread.
Fifty dollar bills can also have low serial numbers.
Watermark of andrew.
Approximately 3 8 of all notes printed in 2017 were 50 dollar bills.
When held to light a portrait watermark of president grant is visible from both sides of the note.
The bureau of engraving and printing says the average life of a 50 bill in circulation is 55 months before it is replaced due to wear.
The absence of the water mark is one way of telling a given 50 dollar bill is fake.
5 and lower bills do not yet have this feature.
In addition the note includes a color shifting numeral 50 in the lower right corner of the note.
Watermark of ulysses s.
To view this hold your bill up to a light and the security strip will appear.
Grant is featured on the obverse while the u s.
This feature is built in to allow sight impaired consumers to be able to use the bills for payment.