Ways to Detect Fake and Genuine New Currency Banknotes

The new currency notes unveiled by President Kenyatta on June 1, 2019, are already in circulation.

However, Kenyans, and more especially small-scale traders are afraid of accepting the new currencies saying they are not sure they are receiving genuine cash.

Further, they say the awareness campaign launched by the CBK was not sufficient since some of the said traders are either not conversant with the internet or have very little time to access the internet.

How to detect fake notes using normal light, feel and by tilting the note.

The new currency notes come with a new look, new feel and tilt display for seven distinct features.

For the new look, there’s a watermark of a lion’s head, the value of the note and the name CBK upon holding the note against the light.

If you run your fingers through the note, you will be able to feel the part that is written ‘Kenya’, and the value of the note (1000,500,200,100,50).

For the tilt display, if you tilt the note at an angle, the security thread changes color from red to green. This happens on all the notes. There are additional rainbow colors on the thread for 1000, 500 and 200-shilling notes.

How to tell genuine from counterfeit new currency notes using ultraviolet (UV) light.

1. 1000-shilling note.

The front part of the 1000-shilling note should have the vertical serial number on the left of the note glow yellow under UV lights.

The arrow shape that has a dove should have an inward red glow and an outward yellow glow, while the value of the note will give an off a green glow.

At the back of the note, there are two green stripes with the value of the note highlighted in red and a red dove.

Above the red dove, there should be shades of green and red.

2. 500-shilling note.

The 500-shilling note under UV light should have its front part’s vertical serial number on the left of the note glowing yellow.

The arrow with the dove will have an inward green glow and an outward yellow glow and the value of the note should have an off green highlight.

At the back, there are two green stripes, the value of the note gives a yellow glow and the dove glows yellow too. There’s also a lion at the center of the note and next to it there should be yellow and green shades.

3. 200-shilling note.

The vertical serial number of the front part of the 200-shilling note has a yellow highlight, whereas the value of the note will have an off a green glow.

At the back, there are two stripes glowing yellow, with the value of the note glowing green, overlapped by a green dove.

4. 100-shilling note

For the 100-shilling note, the serial number will glow yellow, the arrow and the dove will glow green on the inside and red on the outside while the value of the note will give an off a green glow.

The back of the note will have two red stripes, the value of the note and the dove glowing green, and above the dove, there are green and red shades under UV light.

5. 50-shilling note

The front part of the 50-shilling note, under the ultraviolet light, should have the vertical serial numbers at the left glow yellow, the value of the note should have an off green glow while the arrow shape alongside the dove will have an inward green glow and an outward yellow glow.

At the back of the 50-shilling note, there should be two yellow stripes with the value of the note and the dove glowing green.