By Kevin Flynn, about Kevin Flynn.I spent the past 30 years involved with probably our country's oldest and greatest hobby, coin collecting. I have written fifty-three books on numismatics, covering many of our vast series produced in the United States. I have spent thousands of hours in the National Archives going through hundreds of thousands of documents of those individuals who created, collected, and used our coinage with the objective of accurately presenting the history relating to coinage from those individuals responsible for it. I have uncovered many of the great mysteries that form the lure and stories of our coinage. My real job is a software engineer, I have a masters degree in engineering and have been working in this field for the past 32 years. The core of software engineering is solving problems, which is my strongest attribute, and which I use when figuring out unsolved mysteries in coins. Researching and writing books was not for profit, but as the true essence of the hobby is the discovery and sharing of knowledge. I have taught classes and done seminars on coins. One of my big goals was to inspire new collectors to join in our hobby, especially kids, for without our hobby will wither away as stamps has progressed down that death spiral path. Many kids today focus on games and other toys on their phones and computers. Some of the books I have written were specifically for kids, while others were to teach parents, coin show organizers, clubs, and coin dealers how to help inspire kids to collect coins.
Sometimes I use
Buffalo nickels (struck 1913 through 1938) or Lincoln cents with the wheat back reverse (struck 1909 through 1958) in change. It's neat to see the response of those receiving, usually a look of excitement. Our coins represent and reflect our country's history. The images tell us of those places, people, events, and things that are important to past. I have found over the years that when coins, or even silver or gold are used as an investment, they are simply an object with the objective of making money. When there is a connection made to the symbology as to what the coin represents, or a time period in which they were struck, then is a much great enjoyment and respect of the coin.
Recently I went some old currency I had and separated out those that I considered to be of little or no value above the face value of the currency, i.e. a $20 bill was worth $20. I could have just went to a bank and traded them in for new bills. I decided instead to use them in circulation. This was done as 1. They are legal tender, irrelevant of whether they are older style currency. For example, a $2 bill was printed the last time in 1976, it is still legal tender. 2. My hope was to inspire people to see them, find them cool, keep them, and start collecting. It is always fun to watch someone lighten up when you had them a Two dollar bill, normally I would see them put their own money in the register and keep the bill. I would normally wait there while they examined to see if there was any questions regarding the bill such as if it was worth a premium. In 30 years I have never had a problem in using old coins or currency in circulation to pay for merchandise or services (such as a tip). Until now.
I have an expertise in identifying counterfeit coins for series that I have researched. For rare coins, such as the 1894-S
Barber dime, where only 24 coins were struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1894, there was only one pair of working dies that was used to strike all 24 coins. Therefore all 24 coins will reflect those diagnostics from the working dies used to strike them. For example, during this period, the date was hand struck into the obverse of each working die. The size and shape of the digits and the relative location between the denticles and design elements is important in identifying coins struck from a specific die. In the
Mercury dime series, the rarest date and mint mark is a 1916-D
Mercury dime, a coin in the lowest grade can cost $600; this coin is one of the more commonly struck in counterfeit. There was only four sets of working dies used to strike all 1916-D dimes. In identifying all diagnostics on all four dies, this can be used to identify genuine coins.
I know the basics on currency, but do not have expertise in identifying counterfeits. Besides the obvious of bills such as: that were never printed such as a four dollar bill; if a modern $20 bill had an image other than Andrew Jackson; or if you see multiple bills of the same denomination with the same serial number. My knowledge on older bills is through reading descriptions on sites such as Wikipedia. From what I understand, the only branch of the government that can declare a United States bill counterfeit is the Treasury Department or United States Secret Service. Wikipedia is a great tool because for example on the Ten Dollar bill, it will describe all changes and show images of each of bills. For example, the 1953 Ten Dollar bill states: "1953: The $10 silver certificate had several design changes analogous to the 1950 Federal Reserve Note design changes; also, the blue numeral 10 on the left side of the bill was changed to gray." From the description and images, anyone should be able to identify the basics of the bills. It also states "1992: The first modern anti-counterfeiting measures were introduced with microscopic printing around Hamilton's portrait and a plastic security strip on the left side of the bill." From this you understand that if you see a Ten Dollar bill printed before 1992, it will not have the plastic security strip.
What I did not contemplate or consider in using older currency for transactions is that individuals who did not know the United States used older currency that appeared different and had different attributes and characters. For example: there might be individuals who do not know that the United States has modified it's currency over the years, such as the size, shape, font, and location of the lettering or the size, shape, location, color, and actual designs used, or the security measures included; there might be younger individuals who primarily use debit and credit cards have less experience with currency, especially with older currency; someone new in the country has not seen or dealt with older currency; someone uneducated. I have met some people who did not realize we have a $2 bill. Most individuals who I have used older currency with, such as an older $20 that contains a smaller image of Andrew Jackson have said that they remembered using the older $20s and recognized the bill. They also felt comfortable with the bill after it passed the basic
Counterfeit Detection pen, which contains an iodine solution that reacts with the starch in the wood-based counterfeit paper and creates a black stain. With genuine bills, no discoloration occurs.
I went to the Dollar Tree store in my area to buy some basic stuff. The total for all items was $10. I used one of my old Ten Dollar bills. The Cashier looked over the bill then put it in the drawer, I stood there until she put the bill in the drawer. Had she questioned the bill's authenticity, I would have gladly replaced with another or used my credit card.
On Friday October 12th, the St. Mary's Sheriff's Department placed an article on their website showing a photo of me at Dollar Tree and a title stating that they were using seeking the individual for using a counterfeit $10 bill at Dollar Tree. This article was picked up by local online news such as thebaynet, somd, and smnewsnet.
I work at Patuxent River Naval Air Station with my title being Senior Computer Scientist, which requires a security clearance. On Monday, October 15th, because of flash flood warnings in my area, I came into work late, around 10:30, went to my desk and started working. Several of the people I worked with walked by, looked at me and kept going. I learned later that some had seen my image on the police web site and also the local internet news sites. They had spent the morning before I got there wondering if I was on the run to Mexico, whether the base police would arrive to arrest me a drag me out in cuffs, whether I would be going to prison, and so on. Those of course who knew me, knew this is something I would not do. Around noon, my one of the people I work with came up to me and asked if I knew that I was wanted by the police. I was confused as this was out of the blue and he offered to show me. He showed me the police website, which had my image in the counterfeit article. I saw the image and said that photo made me look fat. I saw and wrote down the contact information for Detective Beyer. I went to my car and called Detective Beyer, who did not answer, so I left a message with my name and phone number. I went to my house, picked up my books and drove to the Sheriff's Office. I requested Detective Beyer and was told he was not on till second shift. I told the person at the desk I was the person in their article and asked whether to speak to someone else, which I was told no. There were two detectives name Beyer, who were brothers. Between 12 and 8 PM that night, I probably left about 30 messages to both Detective Beyers'.
On the way to the Sheriff's Office I called my wife and told her what happened and what I was doing, she jokingly asked whether she needed to bail me out, I said no, I was taking care of all issues. I always found you need to have a sense of humor sometimes, especially those times that might be stressful. It helps you to relax and focus on the problem.
After going to the Sheriff's Department, I went directly to my company's office. I walked in to my security officer's room and sat down. He was getting off the phone from base security who were interested in this issue. He smiled at me, I went through my story, what my objective of using old money, that I heard this morning of the problem, and had just returned from the Sheriff's Office, and that I would deal with this when the Deputy was on duty. The Security Officer said he heard of the problem from several individuals. He also stated that he believed I would not use counterfeit bills for the obvious reasons such as it would cause me to lose my clearance, job, and many other things. He also knew that I had written many books on coins, not currency, and that my expertise was on coins, not currency. That if I did use a counterfeit bill, it was accidental, not intentional. Obviously, anyone can pick up a counterfeit bill. Take for example you are at a bingo game, you win, you are given a $20 from them, which was given to them by someone else. It is of course possible that the $20 bill is counterfeit. Almost anything is possible, the important consideration is probability. The probability of your receiving a $20 bill is extremely low.
I went back to work, then rode my bike after work. At 8 PM, I called Detective Beyer's number and did so every 10 minutes. Around 9, I called the Sheriff's Department, spoke to a Lieutenant, stated who I was and requested to speak to Detective Beyer, who was out on patrol. I then spoke to Detective Beyer and he said he could be at my house in 10 minutes. Detective Beyer spent about 20 minutes at my house, he was extremely professional, courteous, and respectful at all times. I told Detective Beyer of my involvement in coins, writing coin books, and objectives in using old coins and currency in circulation. I showed Detective Beyer the old currency I had in my possession at the time, all of which were dated after 1960. Detective Beyer requested to check them, then used the
Counterfeit Detection pen to authenticate the bills. As I did not look at the bill before I used it, I asked Detective Beyer what year the Ten Dollar bill he had from Dollar Tree was, he said it was 1953. Detective Beyer said he look up the 1953 Ten Dollar bill on
ebay and found it was worth a premium, which shocked me as I thought I had checked it and did not believe it to be worth more than $10. I checked later and found Detective Beyer was correct, the 1953 Ten Dollar bill was worth more. Before Detective Beyer came over, I had read through the Wikipedia page for United States Ten Dollar bills and learned that the $10 bill was frequently changed every few years, with some changes being minor and others more evident and easily identifiable. I asked Detective Beyer how he had identified the bill as a counterfeit. He stated that he looked for two primary characteristics on the bill. I explained to Detective Beyer that the Treasury Department frequently changed the look and feel of the bills and sometimes the security features. Detective Beyer stated that it was possible that he was mistaken that it was a counterfeit. I said to Detective Beyer that it is always possible that the bill is counterfeit, something that I picked up over the past 30 years, but that I would gladly take a polygraph that I had never made counterfeit money, and that if this bill was counterfeit, I did not know it was counterfeit.
In searching for "counterfeit bills" through yahoo, under the question "Do counterfeit pens work on all bills?" It stated "When the pen is used to mark genuine bills, the mark is yellowish or colourless. Such pens are most effective against counterfeit notes printed on standard printer or photocopier paper. The chemical properties of US banknotes prior to 1960 are such that marking pens do not work." As the Ten Dollar bill was dated 1953, the counterfeit pen would not work for authentication.
The next morning I checked the Sheriff's Department website and found that the article and my image were still on the site. The objective of the article was to seek the individual who used the bill at Dollar Tree. As I had clearly identified myself as the individual shown in the photo and the police had all of my contact information, there should have been no further need to display the article and my image. I contacted the person in charge of the website and requested the article be removed. The individual stated that it was their policy to leave the article on their site and that the upper Captains would have to approve any changes or removal.
I contacted Captain David Yingling at the Sheriff's Department. Captain Yingling said that he was in a meeting and would return my call. An hour later Captain Yingling called back. I explained what occurred, why I used old bills, that I had spoken to Detective Beyer, that Detective Beyer stated that he was not absolutely positive that the bill was counterfeit, that my job required a security clearance, and that I have received a lot of grief over this situation, and that I would gladly take a polygraph regarding this. Captain Yingling had reviewed the file and said that the bill would first have to be reviewed for authenticity by the Secret Service, who normally came down once a month, and then based upon the results, decide what would be done, for example if the bill was counterfeit, present the evidence to the Prosecutor to see if they wanted to pursue, and also that I would have to make restitution to Dollar Tree and such. We spoke for about 30 minutes, during which Captain Yingling was professional and obviously wanted to make sure the rules were followed, but he was also came across as understanding of my dilemma, and thanked me for being fully cooperative. The article was updated to state that the individual had been identified, but still stated that a counterfeit $10 bill had been used.
When I finished work and went to my car, I saw there was a message from Captain Yingling. I called him immediately back. Captain Yingling stated that he went down to the evidence room and examined the $10 bill and that he had believed it to be genuine. Captain Yingling stated that he had ordered the article and image removed from their site, sent messages to the other internet news sites, and also requested a Treasury Department official to examine the bill for authenticity as soon as possible, and also assigned one of his senior detectives to work on this. This was good news, which I immediately told my security officer and others at my work. Captain Yingling also suggested that I write an article on this to help others understand about our old currency. He also stated that if needed, he would speak to my employers to state what happened and was being done.
That night I contacted through email the three local web sites that were carrying local police stories. I told them that I was the one in the photo. That I spoke to Detective Beyer and Captain YIngling, including their contact info, stating that the police had taken the article off their site and to contact the two police individuals if they had questions. SOMD responded and took it down, SMNEWSNET took it down the next day, THEBAYNET still currently has it up. I attempted to call thebaynet, the phone number listed was not in operation.
On Friday, Captain Yingling emailed me to state that a person from the Treasury Department came down upon his request, examined the bill, and found the bill to be genuine. He said that the case was being closed as UNFOUNDED. I was thrilled. Even though the original article stated that a counterfeit bill was used, I was extremely pleased on how quick and professionally the issue was resolved. I also believe part of being human is that we can all make mistakes. But IMO, one of the true tests of our humanity is how we deal with and resolve problems, challenges, and issues. I was awe struck when Detective Beyer said that he may have been wrong in calling the bill a counterfeit, IMO it showed courage, an open mind, and a desire to seek truth above all else. Captain Yingling checking of the bill himself and subsequent actions of removing the article from their web site and the expediting of the authentication of the bill clearly demonstrated and exemplified those positive qualities of our leaders who take actions towards the goal of truth and justice.
Based upon the stress involved with being accused of using counterfeit money when I had not, part of me considered just taking any old bills to the bank; this of course would be the easy solution. But then I think of those who enjoyed receiving our older currency when they receive it through transactions and I think of those who might start collecting when finding something they think is cool and it makes the aggravation and frustration for having to deal with those who don't understand the history of our money feel less frustrating and tolerable. I have also learned a great deal more in researching all of the changes and attributes of our currency. I decided though to be a little more selective on when and where to use old coins and bills. To make sure the individual who received the bill knows it is an older bill. It was funny, at a bar over the weekend, I used an older $20, the bar tender looked at the bill, swiped it with the pen and put it in the drawer. I said to her, you know that is an older $20, she looked at me and said, yeah, she remembered and knew from years past. I felt that I was almost coming across as insulting, questioning her memory, but then she kind of laughed and I knew it was ok.
At my office I saw they were collecting money for breast cancer. As my wife's family had several individuals who have had breast cancer I decided to donate $20. The VP of my section was walking by when I had a $20 bill out and jokingly said no, don't take any money from Kevin, it might be counterfeit. Everyone laughed, it was all in good fun, I knew it would be a running joke for probably the next two years or so, but it's all good as we know each other, care, and if it came down to it, have each other's back.
Kevin Flynn 
Posted 02/24/2024 09:43 am
