Bank of Zambia Circular 07/1994: Forged South African R50 Note Warning

# BANK OF ZAMBIA
P.O. Box 30080 Lusaka
10101

Tel. 228888/228903-20

GENERAL MANAGER

26 May 1994

CB CIRCULAR NO 7/94

TO: ALL COMMERCIAL BANKS AND BUREAUX DE CHANGE

Dear Sirs

We have been advised by the Reserve Bank of South Africa that they have detected a forged note - R50 Denomination (new issue) serial number BE 8207552 C as per attached description.

Please advise your branches and bureaux de change to exercise extreme caution.

Yours faithfully

G B MBULO  
GENERAL MANAGER

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SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK  
SUID-AFRIKAANSE RESERWEBANK  

ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT: NOTES AND COIN DIVISION  
DEPARTEMENT ADMINISTRASIE: AFDELING MUNTE EN NOTE  

FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION  
FAKSIMILEE-TRANSMISSIE  

STREET AD :ESS  
370 Church St  
PRETORIA  
0002  
South Africa  

STRAATADRES  
Kerkstraat 370  
PRETORIA  
0002  
Suid-Afrika  

POSTAL ADDRESS  
PO Box 427  
PRETORIA  
0001  
South Africa  

POSADRES  
Posbus 427  
PRETORIA  
0001  
Suid-Afrika  

Fax/Faks nr (12) 313-3871  
Tel. (012) 31-968  

Tclex/Teleks no. 320-455 / 322-136/7  
Swift SARBZAJF  

Fax no.: (260) 221567  
Company: Bank of Zambia  
Attention: General Manager  
From: Mr. D. Naude  
Date: 94/05/26  
No. of pages including this page: 4  
NOTES/AFTEKENINGE:  

Signed/Geen:  

IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED ALL THE PAGES OR FIND ANY ILLEGIBLE,  
PLEASE CALL BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  

INDIEN ENIGE VAN DIE BLADSYE NIE ONTVANG IS NIE, OF ONLEESBAAR IS,  
SKAKEL ASB. ONMIDDELIK TERUG.

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EARLY WARNING ADVICE  
URGENT  

FORGED NOTE R50 DENOMINATION (NEW ISSUE)  

A forged R50 note of the new design, bearing the serial number BE 8207552 C has been discovered nationwide, details as follows:

## PAPER

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| 1. Made of 100% cotton fibres with an overall pink tinge. | 90 gsm white bond paper. A screen has been printed on the paper in order to simulate a tinge. A brown screen appears on the front whilst a yellow screen has been used on the back. |
| 2. The paper does not fluoresce under UV light except for optic fibres embedded in paper. (See under heading Fluorescent Fibres). | Fluoresces under UV light. |

## WATERMARK

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| 1. A watermark representing a mirror image of the main motif (i.e. the lion’s head) appears in the clear area on the left of the note when viewed from the obverse side. | No watermark exists. |

## SECURITY THREAD

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| 1. Windowed, metallised and magnetic properties with readable text, SARB (alternating right reading mirror inverted). The security thread forms a solid dark line when the note is viewed against a bright light. | An imitation window thread has been drawn on the note using a silver pen. No metallised or magnetic properties with text exist. The security thread does not form a solid line. The text SARB is not visible in the printed thread. |

---

- 2 -  

## FLUORESCENT FIBRES

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| 1. Invisible to the naked eye but fluoresces red and green under UV light. | No fluorescent fibres. |

## PRINT (LITHO)

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| 1. Images consist of intricate solid line work and patterns on both the obverse and reverse of the note. | All images have a flat appearance with no detail and the colour bears little resemblance to a genuine R50 note. |
| 2. The two parts printed in perfect registration on the front and back of the note form an "R" when held against direct light. | The two parts printed on the front and back of the note are in register and give the impression of an "R" when held against direct light. |
| 3. The orange colour on the interpolated band and the right hand half of the atom ring fluoresce orange under UV light. | No Fluorescence exists. |
| 4. The purple and green on the interpolated band and the left hand half of the atom ring fluoresce blue under UV light. | No fluorescence exists. |

## PRINT (INTAGLIO)

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| 1. On the obverse side, the main motif, micro printing, text, lion pride, trees and the dots have a raised feel. | The images produced have no tonal value and there is no raised feel to the note. |
| 2. On the reverse side the blue atom rings have a raised feel. | The colour on the reverse of the note bears little resemblance to a genuine R50 note and there is no raised feel. |

## PRINT (NUMBERING)

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| 1. The red numbers printed on the top left of the note fluoresce orange under UV light. | Numbers do not fluoresce. |

---

- 3 -  

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| 2. The black numbers printed on the bottom right of the note fluoresce green under UV light. | Numbers do not fluoresce. |

## COLOURS

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| LITHO: 20 different colours used and all in register. | At least 9 colours used in all with poor registration and detail. |
| INTAGLIO: 6 different colours used. | |

## SIZE

| GENUINE NOTE | COUNTERFEIT R50 |
|--------------|-----------------|
| Height 70 mm<br>Length 140 mm | Height 69mm<br>Length 136mm |

## GENERAL

Although the colour and feel of the counterfeit is not exact to that of a genuine note, it could easily be accepted by an unsuspecting individual.

For the purpose of updating our records we require details of whether this service is still required, is the service acceptable in its current format and any further suggestion that are pertinent to the Early Warning Advice system, to be advised to the writer hereof as soon as possible.

Your assistance in this matter is appreciated.

Yours faithfully

D. Naude  
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER  
NOTES AND COIN DIVISION  
14/05/94 02/ee