When you plug a search term into a search engine, you never really know what’s going to pop up in place of what you were really looking for. In my case, I was searching for a new pen I’d just read about that records audio while you’re taking notes, but instead PriceGrabber shared with me links to a pen that can tell you when currency is counterfeit.

Say what? That’s right. The Drimark 351BCL is a counterfeit bill detector pen.

You simply make a small mark on the currency (US bills for the links above). If the mark is amber (yellow to us mortals), it passes. If the mark turns dark brown or black, that means the bill could be fake.

It’s not 100% foolproof. According to the company, if your counterfeiter goes “green” — meaning he or she is using recycled paper such as newsprint or cardboard — the dark markings won’t appear. The presumption here, of course, is that if that $100 bill comes on cardboard, it should be questioned, and you will be smart enough to know that fact.

Posted on May 13th, 2008 by dian