ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 September 2004
Page Count: 2

Fingerprint Detection on Counterfeit US$ Banknotes: The Importance of Preliminary Paper Examination
Cohen, D
Latent Fingerprint Laboratory,

Almog, J
Casali Institute of Applied Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem,

Himberg, K
National Bureau of Investigation, Vantaa

Azoury, M
Latent Fingerprint Laboratory,

Qvintus-Leino, P
National Bureau of Investigation, Vantaa

Saari, T
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland,

(Received 21 December 2003; accepted 17 April 2004)

Abstract

Two seizures of counterfeit 100 US$ bills related to the same indicative number were submitted for processing of latent fingerprints. On one group of notes, identifiable fingerprints could be detected by the routine application of amino acid reagents. In the second case, this technique gave no results, even on deliberately deposited prints. Fingerprints could be revealed, however, by cyanoacrylate fuming followed by magnetic powder. Comprehensive paper analysis showed that banknotes from both seizures differed remarkably by chemical composition as well as paper macroscopic properties. The difference in surface free energy (related to surface tension) of the banknotes in the two groups seemed to be the major factor responsible for the great variance in fingerprint detectability.

Keywords:
forensic science, latent fingerprints, counterfeited banknotes, ninhydrin, DFO, amino acid reagents, cyanoacrylate fuming, paper chemistry, surface energy

Paper ID: JFS2003424
DOI: 10.1520/JFS2003424
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