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How to spot the fake banknotes
A banknote has a distinctive sound and feel when flicked between the fingers.
- The watermark – shadow picture of an animal – embedded on the note is visible on the front left of the note when held up to the light. A denomination value has been added.
- When holding the banknote up to the light, an “R” is formed by a two-part print on both sides of the note.
- A security thread is on the front of the note as a silver line. Held up to the light it makes a solid dark line.
- On the R10 and R20 notes the thread remains two millimetre wide with the letters “SARB” and a denomination numeral.
- The R50, R100 and R200 notes now have a four-millimetre-wide security thread with the text “SARB” and “RAND”, a denomination numeral and a holographic image of the coat-of-arms, which shows when the note is tilted.
- Every banknote has a unique serial number made up of letters and numbers. No two banknotes are the same.Features you can feel
- A banknote has a distinctive sound and feel when flicked between the fingers. This comes from a combination of the cotton paper used and the intaglio, or raised printing, on the note.Features you can see by tilting the note
- The denomination value on the R50, R100 and R200 notes is printed in colour-changing ink, on the front bottom right. It changes from green to gold on the R50 and R100 notes, and from magenta to green on the R200 note.
- The R50, R100 and R200 notes have a holographic coat-of-arms in the security thread.
- A shimmering gold band with the coat-of-arms and the denomination value appears on the back of all new notes.
- A hidden image is contained in the geometric shape on the front, which shows the denomination numeral.
- Features for the blind include a raised diamond on the middle of the note, at the bottom of the front. The diamond indicates the denomination, ie R10 – one diamond; R20 – two; R50 – three; R100 – four; and R200 – five.
