Can anyone tell me why there are red and blue lines on some currency i have seen? I've been noticing them for a while. Any answers would be appreciated, thanks.
If you are talking about small, irregular red and blue threads embedded in the paper, they are an anti-counterfeiting device.
Those are pieces of fiber put into the paper mix at the time of creation as indeed a anti-counterfitting measure. They should all be different, due to how they are made. If you can catch the Money episode on History Channel's Modern Marvels, I am pretty sure they show how it's done on there... They've been doing it a LONG time...this Fractional note I have, from the series of 1875, has a ton in it. Unlike modern notes, you can actually feel these raised off the surface of the note!
If you are talking about the small red and blue fibers then the answers you have gotten are correct..but if you are talking about lines like these shown on many large size notes of the 1880s, it is a continious silk thread running the entire length of the note. One on top which is red and the one on bottom part of note which is blue. This image shows it quite nicely and this long thread running across the bottom of the note is an anti counterfeiting device as well. RickieB
Thanks for the great answers. To RickieB, I was talking about the small fibers, but also useful info.
