Scanner Stopped Scanning Paper Money! Why?

So for paper money collectors, are we now restricted to photography as the only means of recording our collections?

 

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Then you'll have a photograph that Photoshop will not allow you to edit! Trust me. I had a helluva time capturing an image of a 2010 Indonesia 10000 Rupiah note!

 

I lost my photoshop a long time ago. I'm using gimpshop now.

 

OK.... up and running again. I put the image in MS-Word and could not print it. Just as with the attempted print from Windows Paint, the printer went a few swipes, then gave the message "http://www.rulesofuse.org". This is a scan of the Paint printout.

 

You can always use older equipment and software. There's no need to feel forced to use the latest, greatest and online enabled equipment and software.

One could set up an off-line scan station, connected to a computer running older graphics software. Save the files to a removeable data storage device (thumb drive, hard drive, CDR/DVD, etc.) and plug that into a machine to put files on a computer hooked up to the internet to avoid these issues.

Sort of like using a film camera in the age of digital, takes longer but may avoid the encoded stamping that modern digital camera put on digital images. Yes, you'd still need to scan the negatives or prints and convert to file types to share the pics online, but you could still document your collection.

Vinyl records can likewise be digitized at home with very little expense and effort and avoid digital music rights issues that come with crappy quality mp3's.

Just because the equipment and/or software is old(er) and considered outdated by the majority, an industry or mainstream media doesn't mean it's still not a viable tool available for the right application. :smile

 

Thanks, Chris....digging out my old scanner now.

 

try open office and the gimp. No DRM junk in those apps and they are Free Software.



Ruben

 

Man, this is something new to me. I have a really old circa 2003 psc in the garage. It's out of ink, but still scans. I'll try it tomorrow and see if it applies to it also..............hmmm

 

My old scanner is dead.

 

Dratz! Sorry to hear that...

 

Have you tried using different software to scan? I've been told that's the way around scanning issues.

Dave

 

use the xsane backend I posted and use the gimp to scan and you should be alright.

 

wow...sorry diggit, i was just kidding before. i didnt think they really found a way to keep you from scanning bills. anyone know the technology behind it?

 

OK, now that we have your attention...

Modern (post 2000; maybe earlier) scanners, printers, copiers, have hardware chips in them (maybe firmware), that recognize symbols placed in paper money by agreements among the central banks (Federal Reserve, Bank of England, etc., etc.) and their printers (Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Thomas De La Rue, etc.).

Also, your kidding had a very real element: any modern mulit-function printer/scanner connected to the internet can place and receive independent communication. It is rumored that the USA did this to both Iraq and Iran: hit them with a cyber-strike through their printers.

If you search here on CoinTalk for "digimarc" and for "eurion" you will find other threads. These two contain useful information, as well.
http://www.cointalk.com/t49367/
http://www.cointalk.com/t35571/

I am planning a talk for ANA conventions. Ahead of that, I would like to contact the actual doers and nominal "experts" here -- tough word to live up to, I know -- to chase down the facts. Thanks, guys.

 

I'm pretty sure that my scanner is post 2000 and it doesn't give me any problems. From what I've been reading on the subject, copiers look for a symbol but scanners don't. With scanners, it is the photo editing software that looks for digital watermark of some sort (couldn't find any details on what it is or how it is embedded into the picture) but Paint Shop Pro 6 didn't give me any grief with a new $20.

As for the cyber attack through printers . . . I'm skeptical. Far more effective ways to attack networks.

 

Wiley-X, what is the make and model?

Also, be aware that there are at least two different problems here: scanning and printing.

 

HP ScanJet 3500c

I can open with Paint Shop Pro 6 or MS Publisher and print the image to any of my three installed printers.

If I was worried about my printer being accessed by the government, I'd have software watching just like I can monitor every website visited by anyone on my home network.

If I was using my printer for something illegal and it had a hard drive, I'd be wiping that hard drive after every job.

 

So, I had this idea.

I wondered if I could print the problem note. It printed fine. Then I thought "why not scan the copy?" I scanned the copy and it did the same thing as it did with the original note. It stopped midway and said the scan was cancelled. I covered the "'EURion'" circles and tried scanning the copy again and it stopped midway.

This is a photograph of the printed note:

 

Interesting. Collusion between government and industry to stop lawful activities because of the actions of a few. Will 24/7 monitoring be far behind?

 

Whoa!! Are those serial numbers printed upside down or what! Cool note!