Abstract
FEW OFFENSES DEPEND AS MUCH ON THE USE OF APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES AS DOES COUNTERFEITING, AND ANY IMPROVEMENT IN OFFICIAL MINTING FORCES COUNTERFEITERS TO ADAPT THEIR TECHNIQUES ANEW. WHILE THE OFFICAL MINTING PROCESS IS SELECTIVE (WITH ONE TECHNIQUE REPLACING ANOTHER), THAT OF COUNTERFEITING IS CUMULATIVE (I.E., NEW TECHNIQUES ARE ADDED TO ALREADY EXISTING ONES), SO THAT A GREAT VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES EXIST. THE TWO CHIEF METHODS OF COUNTERFEITING COINS ARE CASTING AND STRIKING. IN CASTING, THE METAL (USUALLY A LEAD ALLOY) IS POURED INTO A PREFABRICATED MOLD WHICH IN MODERN TIMES IS A TYPE OF PLASTER. FOR THE INVERSE PROCESS OF STRIKING, THE METAL CHOSEN IS MECHANICALLY CUT IN PIECES OF DESIRED THICKNESS AND THEN MECHANICALLY STAMPED WITH THE DESIRED IMPRINT. SOMETIMES THE METAL IS SUBSEQUENTLY COLORED TO IMITATE THE HUE OF GOLD. BANKNOTE COUNTERFEITING TAKES PLACE IN SEVERAL STAGES: (1) THE ACQUISITION OF APPROPRIATE PAPER, (2) THE RENDERING OF WATERMARKS (OFTEN LEFT OUT), (3) THE REPRODUCTION OF SECURITY MARKS, (4) THE ACTUAL IMPRINTING (TODAY MOST FREQUENTLY THROUGH OFFSET TECHNIQUES) AND NUMBERING OF BILLS. MODERN COUNTERFEITERS ALSO USE SOPHISTICATED METHODS OF ALTERING THE VALUE OF GENUINE BANKNOTES BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SAME SIZE OF BILLS OF VARIOUS VALUES (AS IS THE CASE WITH U.S. BANKNOTES). A MORE PRIMITIVE USE OF GENUINE BANKNOTES INVOLVES A MANUAL CUTTING-UP PROCESS BY WHICH ONE ADDITIONAL BILL IS OBTAINED FOR EVERY 12 REAL ONES. OF COURSE, THE RESULTING BANKNOTES ARE ALL SMALLER AND CAN BE EASILY RECOGNIZED. --IN FRENCH.
