Evident LogoOlympus Logo
블로그

불로소득 : XRF로 까다로운 위조 화폐 구별을 해결하는 방법

저자  -
X선 형광(XRF)으로 위조 화폐 탐지

The city of Cusco, located in southeastern Peru, is famous for many reasons. It’s the site of the historic capital of the Inca Empire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is currently the most important tourist destination in Peru, as it hosts nearly two million visitors each year. However, Cusco is also known for counterfeit currency.

Counterfeit Nuevos Soles (the Peruvian currency) are common and difficult to detect, especially for foreign tourists who are not as familiar with the currency. I’ve had my own experience with fake bills in the Cusco region. On a day trip to Machu Picchu in 2012, I bought a pair of silver earrings at a local craft fair (of course I checked them later with X-ray fluorescence to make sure they were real silver!). I only had large bills from the ATM, so I got change for the purchase. Later, when I tried to use the change to buy food at a soccer game, I was told that the bills were fake! I asked a local friend to show me the difference between the fake bill and a real bill because they looked identical to my eye. Even with his help, I still couldn’t tell the difference.

Researchers at the premier university in Cusco, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC), have recognized that the proliferation of fake bills is a major threat to the tourism-focused economy of the region. In a collaboration between the departments of Physics and Chemistry, three researchers used X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology to examine seven 200 Nuevos Soles banknotes, three of which were fake.

In their study, the UNSAAC researchers used our DELTA® Premium XRF analyzer (now updated to our Vanta XRF analyzer) to analyze 11 points on the seven bills. They performed two types of analyses: the first based on a fingerprint spectral comparison, and the second based on the chemistry of the bills. The team concluded that it was possible to distinguish between genuine and fake banknotes using XRF because the fake bills showed a different chemical makeup from the genuine banknotes. They also discovered that XRF could indicate which security marks are the most difficult to falsify. In addition, some fake banknotes also had trace amounts of toxic elements like lead, arsenic, and chromium, with two notes having chromium concentrations above limits allowed in toys according to Peruvian law. With fake banknotes comprising an estimated 0.5% of all bills in Peru, the UNSAAC team’s findings will help federal officials in removing the counterfeit banknotes from circulation.

Counterfeit currency is a serious problem not only in Peru but around the world. Recent technological developments have made the production of fake money relatively easy, and the influx of forged bills has reduced the value of genuine currency and has led to inflation and monetary losses. Counterfeit currency also has impacts on the safety of society, because fake money can be used by crime networks to finance illegal activities. But the study done by the UNSAAC researchers show how XRF analyzers like ours can be used to separate the seemingly indistinguishable fake bills from the genuine ones—just one more unique application of XRF in the real world!

Related Content

Toy Trouble: Detecting Hazardous Materials in a Popular Toy

How XRF Illuminates the Analysis of Ancient Ceramics

Decoration for the Dead: Using XRF to Test Pigment Color on Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagi


Get In Touch
영업 엔지니어

Jennifer Caban은 미주 Olympus 주식회사의 학술 고문이자 영업 엔지니어입니다. 그녀는 판매 전후 지원에서 X선 형광 및 X선 회절 기술을 담당한 8년 이상의 경력을 지니고 있습니다. 현재 Jennifer는 광범위한 미국, 라틴 아메리카, 카리브해 지역을 오가며 Olympus 영업 인력을 양성하고 다양한 산업 분야에서 고객과 협력하고 있습니다. Jennifer는 베이츠 대학교에서 환경 경제학 학사를 취득했습니다. 그녀는 스페인어에 유창하고 포르투갈어도 능숙합니다. 

9월 6, 2018
죄송합니다. 이 페이지는 해당 국가에서 사용할 수 없습니다.
InSight 블로그 가입하기
죄송합니다. 이 페이지는 해당 국가에서 사용할 수 없습니다.
아래 양식을 작성하여 원하는 내용을 알려주십시오.
죄송합니다. 이 페이지는 해당 국가에서 사용할 수 없습니다.