I never knew this. EURion constellation protection.

[RB TexLa]

The EURion constellation is a pattern of symbols found on a number of banknote designs since about 1996. It is added to help software detect the presence of a banknote in a digital image. Such software can then block the user from reproducing banknotes to prevent counterfeiting using colour photocopiers.
...

The name "EURion constellation" was coined by Markus Kuhn, who uncovered the pattern in early 2002 while experimenting with a Xerox colour photocopier that refuses to reproduce banknotes. The word is a blend of Orion, a constellation of similar shape, and EUR, the euro's ISO 4217 designation.
...

Technical details regarding the EURion constellation are kept secret by its inventors and users. A patent application suggests that the pattern and detection algorithm were designed at OMRON Corporation, a Japanese electronics company. The term "Omron rings" appeared in January 2006 in the German version of this article, and was later picked up in an award announcement by a banknote collectors society




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation

Of course all of this begs the question, why do we still print these archaic things. :crazy:

[Warpy]

1. Because rolls of quarters get too heavy?

[FarLeftRage]

2. What would you suggest?

What different device would you use, instead of printed currency?

[RB TexLa]

4. We have these things called checks, debit cards, direct deposit, ACH transfers, so on and so on

[iris5426]

3. I never knew that either...this is even more crazy though...

Random link clicking after looking at your link led me to this crazy shit:

http://www.crane.se/site.aspx?id=572

[RB TexLa]

5. That is something

Amazing were you go clicking on wiki entries.

[soothsayer]

6. We don't print them. They're printed for us in Korea, I think it is.