Central Bank warning: Look out for fake TT $$

THE CENTRAL Bank of Trinidad and Tobago wishes to remind the public to be on the look-out for counterfeit notes during the Carnival season and that the ability to identify the special security features of the Trinidad and Tobago banknotes is of utmost importance.

According to the bank, the most identifiable security features are the watermarks, the fluorescent bands and the see-through features. Both the older notes and those with the upgraded security features carry a watermark of a Bird of Paradise in the right half of the note, which is easily visible when the note is held up to a light source. The older notes also have a watermark of the denomination repeated at intervals from the top right edge to the right bottom edge of the note.

In the upgraded notes, the additional watermark carries the text “TT.” In the newly upgraded notes, there is a silver band that comes to the surface at regular intervals, running from the top edge to the bottom edge of the note. When held up to a light source, the complete band is visible with micro-text at regular intervals reading “CBTT” and the denomination of the note. The band fluoresces under ultra-violet light. The notes also carry a see-through feature, which shows the outline of a small bird at the top right of the Coat of Arms. Posters identifying all the visible security features of all banknotes currently in circulation are displayed at commercial banks throughout Trinidad and Tobago.