Counterfeit Money

Your Guide to Security Features on Canada's Bank Notes

Holographic Stripe
If you tilt the note you can see brightly, rainbow coloured numbers and maple leaves on the shiny, metallic stripe on the front of the bill. Each maple leaf has a color-split within it. Smaller numbers are in the background of the 3-dimensional stripe. The stripe has curved edges.
Watermark Portrait
When you tilt a bill to the light there is a small, ghost-like image of the portrait to the left of the large numbers as well as smaller numbers. This is called a watermark and can only be seen if there is light in the back. The watermark can be seen on both sides of the bill.
Windowed Color-Shifting Thread
Hold the bill to the light and you can see a line on both sides of the bill. On the back of the bill the line looks like a series of metallic dashes that change from gold to green when tilted. Small 5,10,20,50 or 100 are printed on the line and woven into the paper.
See-Through Number
Hold the note to the light and look between the watermark and the large number for a perfectly aligned number on the back and front.
Iridescent Maple Leaves
Tilt the bill and the 3 maple leaves will change from a faint image to a shiny gold color. The leaf is outlined well and there are no raised edges.
Hidden Number
Tilt the bill and the number to the left of the portrait will be come visible.
Optical Security Device
Tilt the note and the metallic patch changes colors from gold to green, you cannot peel off and there are no raised edges.