Fake Error $100 Polymer Altered

We use the Aussie Guardian brand poly notes, in Australia you see notes with one side completely wiped clean with this product but the Canadian notes must use different ink, only the serial # comes off, the rest of the note looks regular just like a missing # but there is the indentation of the numbers. There has been very few poly currency errors since it's release, only a few off shades and a few double serial numbers notes.

It is well documented (even by BoC, Banks in NZ, and Australia) that varnish is the last element applied in the printing process and after the serial number.


This is the nature of printing on polymer substrate. The varnish is only omitted on the metallic stripe (hologram portion where there is a hologram).

I believe there are pics and talks on wiping whole side of Aussie poly notes on CCF Aussie error currency section

I agree I am collecting errors ,in the polymer serie , they are not a lot errors , and when that occure its is fake errors or small errors

Canadian Polymer bank notes and Aussie Polymer bank notes of current generation are essentially printed using the same sequence. This is well published data and there has been ample written on it from the Banks themselves.

The essential sequence is as follows:

Substrate receives opacifying layer (this is white in colour)
The hologram is applied
The litho printing is done
The Intaglio is applied
The Serial number is applied
The varnish is applied on both sides of the note. The only place varnish is not applied in Canadian notes is over the hologram near the clear window and the frosted window. The process of application of varnish is similar to litho printing.

Bottom line - Yes you can carefully remove the serial number only but the varnish also comes off. There is no way to take out any ink from the polymer without taking the varnish off.

When you see the note without the varnish you can easily tell the difference.

There have been many errors of serial numbers that are legitimate and can be found in the $50's printed by BAI. They happen at specific PN's and in specific ranges of serial numbers.

Here is an example of one from AMF prefix which can be found on PN 94 in a wide range. If you track the serial numbers then you can see where the print head started to wear off and where it was the worst before it was fixed.

With a note in hand you will be able to see that the varnish is intact. There is other evidence in this image which leaves no ambiguity that this was done at the printing stage and not after.