Description of the features of a German Banknote:
- The series or issue of a banknote is often marked by the letter in front of the serial number. It is important
for the identification of the version of the banknote
- The serial number identifies each individual bill and is unique for each issue
- The Currency gives the monetary unit that the banknote reflects.
- The type of the banknote describes the type of monetary unit the banknote represents.
- The Issuer is the Central Bank, which is responsible for controlling
the money supply. The location is normally the location of the central bank's offices. The issue date is an official,
legal date associated with the issue of the money. It
again is important for the identification of the version
- The denomination gives the nominal value of the bill.
- The Watermark is a security feature that frequently resembles the picture
on the banknote.
- The pressed seal is a security feature, which gives the paper a structure.
- The signatures are those from the people governing the central bank and can be another feature to identify a banknote's version.
- The underprint letter can also identify a series of a banknote issue and is important
for the identification of the version of the banknote
- The seal is normally associated with the issuing central bank.
- The picture is a decorative element of the banknote. Together with the colour it makes a banknote distinctive.
The patterns and structures of a banknote are not only decorative elements but were also a way to prevent
counterfeiting
at a time as printing techniques were less sophisticated and widespread. Over the times a number of other security
features have been added to the banknotes to make counterfeit harder.
To value a banknote it is not only important to identify it and its version, but also observe
the condition of the banknote - its grading.
|
