This is a question I always wondered about. Would the Treasury allow you to own blank currency paper, or would they be worried about you counterfeiting bills on it? (I do believe it is legal to own blank coin planchets, but I'm not sure about blank currency paper)
Some issued notes, 'error' notes, are issued without anything printed on one side. † It seems pretty darn hard for the BEP to issue notes that are trimmed out, stacked, strapped, released to the Federal Reserve, then onto Banks, then onto customers, blank. No? Just as to how you would come into possession of blank sheets of currency paper is another issue altogether, which is likely illegal.
If I wanted to bleach out a bill, I would leave it sit in a south window all summer here in Florida. It would probably take a few months, but I'd bet it would bleach out.
Not in MY house! ??? I have seen currency inadvertantly sun bleach, so I know it could happen on purpose.
Well, quite frankly, you should be able to prove what you claim or folks might just think your full of it.
I take it you've never seen currency that has been faded? I have seen bills get washed with the laundry and come out faded. I have seen them get washed and hold up well too... I suppose it has to do with temp, soap type, bleach, etc... I have seen a bill that sat in the sun in a car long term have similar effects. I had no reason to photo, and come to think of it, until I got a phone with a camera last year, I never made it a habit to photo anything.
Well then... Back to the question I'd think it's allowed as long as it's not intentional but that's just a guess.
I think it's safer to err on the side of 'illegal to own' unless officially released by the BEP or canceled in some manner. Cranes guards the paper pretty darn seriously since they build a lot into the paper by the time its ready for delivery. Delivery to the BEP has to be secure as well because security features are already embedded into the paper itself, prior to printing. I can't imagine the Treasury/BEP want's to find out there are unprinted sheets, especially trimmed to finished bank note size exiting their facilities and floating around.
You can be as sure as rain that it is a crime to own blank currency paper. See below. PART 601—DISTINCTIVE PAPER FOR UNITED STATES CURRENCY AND OTHER SECURITIES Sec. 601.1 Notice to the public. 601.2 Description of paper. 601.3 Use of paper. 601.4 Use of paper; interest-bearing securities of the United States. 601.5 Penalty for unauthorized control or possession. AUTHORITY: 5 U.S.C. 301; 12 U.S.C. 418; 18 U.S.C. 474A. SOURCE: 61 FR 10895, Mar. 18, 1996, unless otherwise noted. § 601.1 Notice to the public. The Secretary of the Treasury, by authority of law, has adopted a new distinctive paper for use in printing United States currency in addition to the existing distinctive papers for use in printing United States currency and other securities. § 601.2 Description of paper. The paper utilized in the printing of United States currency and public debt issues is cream-white bank note paper which must contain security features prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. All currency paper shall contain distinctive fibers, colored red and blue, incorporated in the body of the paper while in the process of manufacture and evenly distributed throughout. In addition to distinctive red and blue fibers, currency paper shall contain, for denominations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, security threads embedded beneath the surface of the paper during the manufacturing process. Security threads shall contain graphics consisting of the designation ‘‘USA’’ and the denomination of the currency, expressed in alphabetic or numeric characters. In addition to the security thread, for the denominations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, the paper will bear a watermark identical to the portrait to be printed on the paper. § 601.3 Use of paper. The new distinctive paper shall be used for printing Federal Reserve Notes of the denominations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. The use of the existing distinctive papers, the distinctive features of which consist of distinctive fibers, colored red and blue, incorporated in the body of the paper while in the process of manufacture and evenly distributed throughout, and the security thread containing graphics consisting of the designation ‘‘USA’’ and the denomination of the currency, will be continued for printing of any currency denomination prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. § 601.4 Use of paper; interest-bearing securities of the United States. The existing distinctive papers shall be used for the printing of interestbearing securities of the United States, and for any other printing where the use of distinctive paper is indicated. § 601.5 Penalty for unauthorized control or possession. The Secretary of the Treasury hereby gives notice that the new distinctive paper, together with any other distinctive papers heretofore adopted for the printing of paper currency or other obligations or securities of the United States, is and will be subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 474A which provides, in part, that it is against the law to possess any paper, or facsimile thereof, designated by the Secretary of the Treasury for the printing of U.S. currency or any other security of the United States, except with the permission of the Secretary or the authorized official. This crime is punishable by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than fifteen years, or both. PART 605—REGULATIONS GOVERNING CONDUCT IN BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING BUILDINGS AND ON THE GROUNDS OF WASHINGTON, DC AND FORT WORTH, TEXAS A UTHORITY: 5 U.S.C. 301; Delegation, Administrator, General Services, dated December 3, 1992; Treasury Delegation, Assistant Secretary (Management), dated February 4, 1993. VerDate jul<14>2003 17:21 Jul 17, 2004 Jkt 203119 PO 00000 Frm 01297 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Y:\SGML\203119T.XXX 203119T
Krispy I did get carried away a bit with the font size. Sorry but wanted to stress the point. I did just regulate the font.
If I'm not mistaken you can do some serious time for owning blank currency paper. Not talking errors or bleached or whatever. I'm talking the "raw" product that is used to print paper money.
My wife would insure that no mites or dust could reside in my house for a period of more than 24 hours and no bill could be left unattended for 48. Winning betting slips can reside on my nightstand for a maximum of 6 days, then they are gone ! So the faded currency experiment would never happen. I guess I won't become a resident of the Big House over this anyway. gary
No!!! I have seen blank on one side.also wonder how the BEP could miss that. *but both sides Big time jail time*