REVIEWER IN QUESTIONED

DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
BY: EDUARDO D. MASIRAG
PUBLIC DOCUMENT
is any instrument notarized by a notary
public or competent public officials
with solemnities required by law.
Examples of Public Documents
• Civil Service Examination Papers and
National Police Commission papers
including notice of admission.
• Residence certificate
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT
Any instrument issued by the
government or its agent or officers
having the authority to do so and the
offices, which in accordance with their
creation, they are authorized to issue.
The officers must issue the documents
in the performance of their duty.
Example of Official Document
• A document required by the NBI
PRIVATE DOCUMENT- every deed or
instrument executed by a private
person without the intervention of
the notary public or of any other
person legally authorized, by which
documents some disposition or
agreement is proved, evidenced or
set forth.
COMMERCIAL DOCUMENT
Any instrument executed in accordance
with the Code of Commerce or any
mercantile law, containing disposition of
commercial rights or obligations.
Examples of commercial Documents
• Bill of lading
• Letters of credits
• Checks
• Receipts
WRITINGS THAT DO NOT CONSTITUTE
DOCUMENTS
• A draft of the Municipal payroll which is not yet
approved by the proper authority (People vs
Camacho, 44 Phil. 484
• Mere blank forms of official documents, the
spaces of which is not yet filled up. ( People vs
Santiago,CA, 48 OG 4558)
• Pamphlets or books which do not evidence any
disposition or agreement are not documents
but are mere merchandize. ( People vs Agnis
47, Phil 945 )
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT- refers to
any document which is under
scrutiny or to which an issue has
been raised.

DISPUTED DOCUMENT – suggest

that there is a controversy or an
argument over the document.
 CLASSES OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS
• Document with questioned signature
• Questioned documents alleged to have been containing
fraudulent alteration
• Questioned or Disputed holographic wills.
• Holographic document refers to any document completely
signed and written by one person.
• Questioned documents on issues of their age and date
• Questioned documents on issues of materials used in their
production
• Documents investigated on the question of the typewriting
• Documents or writing investigated because it is alleged that
they identify some person through handwriting.
• Genuine document erroneously or fraudulently attacked or
disputed.
 
 Document with questioned signature

SIGNATURE

Name of a person written by him/her in

a document as a sign of
acknowledgment.
 TYPES OF SIGNATURES
FORMAL (a.k.a CONVENTIONAL or
COPYBOOK FORM) – complete correct
signature for an important document such as
will.
INFORMAL (CURSORY) – usually for routine
documents and personal and regular
correspondence.
CARELESS SCRIBBLE – for the mail carrier,
delivery or the autograph collector, or used
for jotting quick notes.
KINDS OF FORGERY
1. SIMPLE FORGERY – is best termed as “
spurious signature” in committing fraud, the
forger who is confronted with the absence
to produce a facsimile of the genuine, but
merely sign the name in his own or in
modified handwriting and then contrives
some means of passing the document as his
own with intent to gain before the obvious
fraud is discovered.
2. SIMULATED FORGERY – as previously stated genuine
signature, especially done by good writer, exhibit fluency
and smoothness of strokes.
HOW SIMULATED FORGERY PRODUCED
1. The forger study the genuine signature he intends to
copy. By this he acquire the mental picture of the letter
design, lateral spacing and other obvious features.
2. Constant practice from memory or the genuine model
is placed in front of him.
3. The study and practice are carried on until the forger
feels the capability of writing a convincing forgery.
4. After each attempt, the forger compares it with the
genuine signature that he copied. Defects and errors are
corrected in the future.
3. TRACED FORGERY - is the
result of an attempt to
transfer to a fraudulent
document an exact facsimile
of a genuine signature or
writing by some tracing
process.
Kinds of Traced Forgery
1. Carbon process (Carbon Outline) as the name
denotes is that type whereby the forgery interleaves a
carbon paper between the genuine signature (top
sheet) and the document intended to be forged (bottom
sheet).
The outline of the model or genuine signature is
traced with a dry pen or any sharp pointed
instrument with considerable pressure to make a
carbon outline signature by the forger.
Others will improve on the same by tracing the
carbon outline with suitable ink strokes before
passing it as genuine.
2. Indentation Process is that type
indentation or canal like outlines of the
genuine signature is produced on the
fraudulent document (bottom sheet be
tracing the outline of the genuine signature
(top sheet) with considerable pressure with
any sharp pointed instrument.
The indented outline on the fraudulent
document is then directly inked in and in
some instances, first retracted with pencil
very lightly before it is finally.
3. Transmitted light process
 
PRIMARY SIGNS OF FORGERY
1. Slow, broken stroke and wavy lines
2. Unnecessary retouching or patching
3. Lack of difference in pressure on up and down stroke
4. Blunt starting and end stroke
5. Meaningless markings and dots caused by a false start
6. Shading in more than one direction caused by an effort
to imitate line, which is done by twisting the pen rather
than varying the pen pressure or imitating pen hold.
 
HOLOGRAPHIC WILL-will entirely written
in the handwriting of the testator.
 CLASSES OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION
The examination of questioned documents falls
into two broad classification
1. CRIMINALISTICS EXAMINATION – for the
detection of forgery, erasures, alterations
and obliterations
2. HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION – to find out
who is the author of a writing.
STANDARD DOCUMENTS – are those in which the
origin is known and can be legally used as a
sample to compare with other materials that is
TWO CLASSIFICATIONS OF SATNDARDS FOR
COMPARISON
Procured or collected standard –
records that can be obtained from the
files of documents executed in the
course of a person’s day to day social,
business, official or personal activities.
They serve as the best and the most
appropriate standard in the
determination of the genuineness of a
questioned writing or signature.
Requested standard – also known as “Post
Litel Motem Standards” o r dictated
standard is a standard document which are
executed and prepared at one time upon
request. This exemplars serves in addition to
collected standard that could possibly
obtained as appropriate standards in
determining the authorship or identity of
anonymous letters such as ransom notes,
extortion notes, libelous or poisonous letters
and the like.
 
HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION
Basic Points to be considered in obtaining
standard writing
• The amounts of standard writing available
• The similarity of the subject matter
• The relative dates of the disputed and the
standard writings
• The condition under which both questioned or
known specimen were prepared
• The type of writing instrument and paper
used
 Conditions that should be observed in obtaining
request standard
• The material must be dictated to the writer.
• Normal writing conditions should be arranged.
• The dictated text must be carefully selected.
• Some portion of the dictation should be
repeated at least three times.
• The dictation should be interrupted at intervals.
• An adequate amount of writing must be
included.
• Writing instruments and paper should be similar
to those used in preparing the disputed
document.
 Physiological basis of Handwriting
The writing center near the motor area of the
cortex is responsible for finger movement
involved in writing. The hands contains two
kinds of muscles which function in the act of
writing. EXTENSOR push up the pen  to form
an upward stroke. FLEXOR  which pushes the
pen to form the downward strokes.
AGRAPHIA is a disease where one losses the
ability to write even though he could still
grasp  a writing instrument.
 Stages in the development of handwriting
• The first step in the development of handwriting
starts when a person begins to learn the art of
penmanship copy book forms and illustration of
different latter.
• The second step in handwriting is where the
matter of form recedes and the focused of
attention is centered on the execution of various
letters, that is, they are actually written instead
of drawn.
• The final step in the development of
handwriting refers to the manual in the
execution of letters after more progress.
HANDWRITING – is a visible
effect of bodily movement ,
which is an almost unconscious
expression of fixed muscular
habits, reacting from fixed mental
impressions of certain ideas
associated with script form.
 EXAMINATION OF HANDWRITING
1. RECOGNITION (analysis) of
character
2. Complete COMPARISON of all
characteristics
3. Correct interpretation
(EVALUATION ) of characteristics
 
 TYPES OF HAND WRITING
SCRIPT – Disconnected letter
are written separately.
CURSIVE – flowing, running
and the letters are joined
together.
BLOCK – the letters of the
alphabet are all capitalized
 PHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF HANDWRITING
The writing center near the motor area of
the cortex is responsible for finger
movement involved in the handwriting.
AGRAPHIA is a disease where one losses the
ability to write even though he could still
grasp a writing instrument.
The hand contains of muscles with
function in the act of writing. EXTENSOR
push up the pen to form the upward strokes,
FLEXOR pushes the pen to form the down
ward strokes.
BASIC TYPES OF CHARACTERISTICS
1. CLASS CHARACTERISTICS – which are those
elements or properties which are common to a
group. They are those which conform to the
general style acquired when one was learning to
write and which is fashionable at a particular time
and place. It is a style taught to the child in school
or by a parent.
EXAMPLE OF COMMON CHARACTERISTICS
• ordinary copy book form
• usual systematic slant
• ordinary scale or proportion or ratio
• conventional spacing
2. INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS – which is
highly peculiar and personal and is
improbable to occur in other instances.
This class characteristics are acquired either
by:
• Outgrowth of definite teaching
• Result of imitation
• Accidental condition or circumstances
• Expression of certain mental and physical
traits of the writer as affected by
education, by environment and
occupation.
WRITING – is the product of a
very complicated series of acts,
being as a whole a combination
of forms, which are visible result
of mental and muscular habits
acquired by long, continues and
painstaking effort.
MOVEMENT – Is an
important element in
handwriting. The manner in
which the writing instrument
is moved that is by finger,
hand or arm action may
 THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT WRITING
MOVEMENTS EMPLOYED BY DIFFERENT
WRITERS
1. FINGER MOVEMENT- thumb, index and
middle fingers are employed exclusively in
writing the letters.
2. HAND MOVEMENT – involves the action
of the hand as a whole with fingers playing
a minor role pivot of the lateral motion is
the wrist.
3. FOREARM MOVEMENT – writing
is produced by movement of both
hands and the arm and also fingers
in some cases.
4. WHOLE ARM MOVEMENT – this
movement involves the action of
the entire arm without rest and is
employed in very large writing.
 RECOGNITION OF WRITNG
CHARACTERISTICS

FORM – refers to the shape or

design of the individual letters
SLANT OR SLOPE –it is an angle or
inclination of the axis of letters
relative to the baseline
SIZE – is somewhat divergent under varying
condition and may have but little significance
when applied to only one example, or to small
quantity of writing like signature unless the
divergence pronounced.
PROPORTION – it is one of the hidden features of
writing it being unknown even to the writer. It is
one of the hidden features of writing.
RATIO- the relation between the tall and short
letters. In the ordinary copybook form, the length
of the upper and lower loops of the tall letters is
twice the length of the short letters.
CONNECTING STROKES – this refers to the strokes of links
that connects a letter with
CLASSIFICATION OF CONNECTING STROKES
Circular
Elliptical
Angular
TERMINAL STROKES AND INITIAL STROKES –
FLYING START – the stroke at the beginning of words
FLYING FINISH - the pen is usually raised from the paper
while in motion.
PEN LIFT – it is an interruption in a stroke caused by
removing the pen from the paper.
HIATUS – it is a gap between strokes due to speed in
writing and defective writing instruments.
LATERAL SPACING – is considered as a common
characteristics when it conforms to the ordinary
copybook form.
SHADING – it is the widening of ink strokes with
increase pressure on the paper surface.
LINE QUALITY – refers to the visible record in the
written stroke of the basic movement and
manner of holding the writing instrument.
ALIGNMENT – is the relation of the parts of the
whole line of writing or line of individual letters
in words or signature to the baseline
RHYTHM – it is the balance quality of
movement of the harmonious
recurrence of stress or impulse. It is the
flowing succession of motion that is
recorded in a written record.
WRITING SKILLS – is the relative degree
of ability of writer proficiency.
The basis upon which skill is judged are:
Legibility
Symmetry
PEN PRESSURE – it is the average of
force in which the pen makes
contact with paper or the usual
force involved in writing.
TREMOR – means deviations from
uniform strokes due to lack of
smoothness perfectly apparent
even without magnification.
 
 CAUSES OF TREMOR
 
• Lack of skill on the part of the writer
• Self-consciousness of the writing
process
• Hesitation resulting from copying or
imitation
• Uncontrollable nervousness on the part
of the writer
• In illiterate writing, due to clumsiness,
partly due to lack of clear mental
 KINDS OF TREMOR
GENUINE TREMOR – is comparatively
uniform on similar parts of letters.
Tremor of age -
Tremor of illiteracy- this is characterized
by general irregularity that is due to lack
of skill and mental uncertainty as to the
form and a general clumsiness resulting
from unfamiliarity with the whole writing
process.
Tremor of weakness -
TREMOR OF FRAUD - fraudulent
writing which is drawn, even
though quite perfect in general
form , shows but little if any,
freedom and will often show
hesitation at places and tremor
wrongly placed.
 
 CHACTERISTICS OF TREMOR OF FRAUD
 
1. Inequality of movement at any place in stroke
or line.
2. Frequent interruption in movement
3. Unequal distribution of ink on upward as well
as downward strokes
4. Varying pen pressure due to change in speed
and interruptions of speed, which may occur in
the middle of direct curves or even in what
should be straight lines.
VARIATION IS:
Due to lack of machine –precision of the human
handIt is also caused by external factors, such as the
writing instrument and the writing positionInfluence
by mental and physical condition such as fatigue,
intoxication, illness, nervousness and the age of the
writer.
Due to the quantity of writing prepared in the course
of time, variation in genuine signature appears in
superficial parts and does not apply to whole process
of writing.
RUBRIC OR EMBELISHMENT –
this refers to additional
unnecessary strokes not
necessary to legibility of letter
forms or writings but
incorporated in writing for
decorative or ornamental
purpose.
ELEMENTS OF FORMS IN WRITING
ARC OR ARCH – any arcade form in the
body of the letter.

BEARD – a rudimentary curved in initial

strokes.

BLUNT ENDING OR BEGINNING – are

the result of drawing process in forgery.
BUCKLE KNOT – the horizontal and looped
strokes that are often used to complete
such letters.

CENTRAL PART OF THE BODY – the part of a

letter ordinarily formed by a small circle that
usually lies on the line of writing.

EYE LOOP OR EYELET – the small loop

formed by strokes that extend in divergent
direction.
FOOT OF THE LETTERS OR OVAL – the lower
portion of any downward stroke which
terminates on the baseline.

DIACRITIC – an element added to complete

certain letters.

HITCH – the introductory backward strokes

added to the beginning or ending of many capital
letters or small letters.
HOOK OR TROUGH – the bend, crook or curve on
the inner side of the bottom loop or curve of small
letter.

HUMP – the rounded outside of the bend, crook,

or curve in small letters.

SPUR- short, horizontal beginning strokes.

KNOB – rounded appearance at the beginning or
ending strokes.

MAIN STROKE OR SHANK STEM – downward

strokes of any letter.
WHIRL – the upward stroke usually on letters
that have long loop.

SPACE FILLER OR TERMINAL SPUR – an

upward horizontal or downward final stroke
usually seen in small letters.

RETRACE OR RETRACING – Strokes that goes

back over another writing strokes.
RETOUCHNG OR PATCHING – a
strokes that goes back to repair a
defective portion of writing.

STAFF – backspace of letter.

BASELINE – rules of imaginary line

where the writer rest.
COPYBOOK FORM – design of
letter, which is fundamental to a
writing system.

PEN EMPHASIS – it is the periodic

increase of pressure of
intermittently forcing the pen
against the paper surface with
increase pressure.
TYPEWRITING AND TYPE-PRINT EXAMINATION
TYPEWRITERS – are machine designed to print or impress type
characters on paper, to expedite more legible substitute for
handwriting.
The first known attempt to produce a writing machine was made
by British inventor HENRY MILL who obtained a British patent
machine in 1714.
The next patent issued for a typewriter was granted to the
American inventor WILLIAM AUSTIN BURT in 1829 for a machine
with type arranged on semicircular wheel that was revolved.
In 1833 a French patent was given to French inventor XAVIER
PROGIN for a machine that embodied for the first time one of
the principles employed in modern typewriter: the use for each
letter or symbol separate type bars, set in motion by separate
lever key.
1829 WILLIAM AUSTIN BURT the Detroit, invented the
TYPOGRAPHER
 
1833 French inventor Xavier Progin for a machine that embodied
the principles employed in modern typewriters.
 
1843American inventor Charles Grover Thurber invented a
typewriter which prints through a metal ring that revolved
horizontally above the platen.
 
1856 Alfred Ely Beach make embossed impressions that could be
read by the blind.
 
1856 inventor Samuel W. Francis, and patented by him in had a
circular arrangement of typebars and a bell that rang to signal the
end of a line.
 
1866The development of the first practical typewriter
begun in by CHRISTOPHER LATHAM SHOLES and was
patented in 1868.In cooperation with two fellow
mechanics, CARLOS GLIDEN and SAMUEL SOULE.
MARK TWAIN (Samuel Clemens) was among the first to
buy a typewriter and the first to submit a typewritten
manuscript of a publisher.
1897GEORGE BERNARD SHAW recognized the
importance of typewriter when he became the first
playwright to use it as a stage prop in Candida
THOMAS EDISON he forecasted that typewriters would
one day be operated by electricity.
1914The first practical electric typewriter
was invented by JAMES F. SMATHERS of
Kansas City
1933International Business Machines, Inc.
(IBM), introduced the first commercially
successful electric typewriter to the
business world1
1961The keyboard arrangement,
nicknamed QWERTY for the top line of
letters, was designed to make it easier for
salesmen to use the machine
 BASIS OF TYPEWRITING IDENTIFICATION
 
1. Same type size
a. Standard type of sizes
1. PICA – 10 characters per inch
2. ELITE – 12 characters per inch
 
2. Same type design
a. 8 key letters and other alphabetical
characters
b. numerals 1-9 and other signs and symbols
 
3. Similar combination of correctly and defective
writing characters
 
a. ALIGNMENT
1. HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT DEFECT
2. vertical alignment defects
3. character printing
4. titled
b. typeface defects
1. Permanent defects - actual breaks on typeface, like
worn off series, cut on shanks
2. Transitory defects – dirty impressions from “clogged”
or “dirty” typefaces, and incomplete impressions due to
poor condition of worn-out to ribbon.
 
3. Look for erasure mark – if anything has been
erased on the amount of line or when the
payees name is written; it is quite likely that,
even though the signature may be genuine, the
amount of the payee has been changed.
 
4. Look for more than one kind of ink having
been used. This maybe an indication that,
although the signature is genuine, the amount
or the name of the payee has been change with
ink different from that used to write the check.
This would of course, indicate fraud
5. Compare the handwriting in
the signature with that of the
endorsement. If the handwriting
appears to be the same, that
would be an indication that the
same person wrote both names.
 
 WRITING INSTRUMENT
 
PEN
 
2,000 years B.C,REED PENS / SWAMP REED
 
1300- QUILL PEN feather of any bird, those of goose, swan, crow, and (later)
turkey
 
1465Pens of bronze known to Romans, the earliest mention of “BRAZEN PENS”.
 
1803The first patented steel pen point was made by BRYAN DONKIN
 
1884LEWIS WATERMAN, patented the first practical FOUNTAIN PEN
 
1888JOHN LOUD, patented the first ball point writing tool
 
1938Hungarian inventor brothers LADISLAO and GEORG BIRO invent a viscous,
oil-based ink.
 
1962The first practical fiber tip pen was invented by YUKIO HORIE.
Pencil and Eraser Trivia
 
1564Graphite a form of carbon, first discovered in the Seathwaite Valley in
England
 
1795 Nicolas Conte French chemist developed and patented the process used
to make pencils.
 
1736Charles Marie de la Condamine, "India rubber”
 
1770 Edward Naime is also credited with the creation of the first eraser
 
1839 Charles Goodyear discovered a way to cure rubber and make it a lasting
and useable material.(Vulcanization)
 
1844 Goodyear patented his process.
 
1858 First patent for attaching an eraser to a pencil by Hyman Lipman
1828,Bernard Lassimone,an invention to sharpen pencils
 
1847Therry des Estwaux first invented the manual pencil
sharpener.
 
July 9, 1895John Lee Love of Fall River, MA designed the "Love
Sharpener.”
 
1940s Hammacher Schlemmer Company of New York offered
the world's first electric pencil sharpener designed by Raymond
Loewy
 
1861Eberhard Faber built the first pencil factory in the United
States in New York City
 
1984Gel Pens were invented by the Sakura Color Products Corp.
 
The earliest kind of ink was INDIA INK. It was made from
sooth or carbon mixed with water. Another kind of ink
called LOGWOOD was used many years ago but it is not
now common. The BALLPOINT PEN is the newest and
most popular type of ink writing instrument.
History of ink
Approximately 5000 years ago, an ink for blacking the
raised surfaces of pictures and texts carved in stone was
developed in China.
This early ink was a mixture of soot from pine smoke,
lamp oil, and gelatin from animal skins and musk.
Other early cultures also developed many colors of ink
from available berries, plants and minerals.
The India ink used in ancient India since at least
the 4th century BC was called masi which was
made of burnt bones, tar, pitch, and other
substances.
Indian documents written in Kharosthi with ink
have been unearthed in Chinese Turkestan.
Modern ink applications
Up until a few years ago, consumers had very
little interest in ink other than refills for their
pens.
Fountain pens became a novelty as the
disposable ball point pen took over the
market.
Iron gall inks
Iron gall inks became prominent in the early
1100s and were used for centuries and thought
to be the best type of ink.
However, iron gall ink is corrosive and
damages the paper it is on (Waters 1940).
Items containing this ink can become brittle
and the writing fades to brown.
The original scores of Johann Sebastian Bach
are threatened by the destructive properties
of iron gall ink.
Indelible ink
The word indelible means cannot be removed.
Some types of indelible ink have a very short
shelf life because of the solvents used, which
evaporate rapidly.
India, Philippines, Indonesia and other
developing countries have used indelible in the
form of electoral stain to prevent electoral fraud.
The Election Commission in India has used
indelible ink for many elections.
Indonesia used it in their last election in
Aceh.
In Mali, the ink is applied to the fingernail.
Indelible ink
The word indelible means cannot be removed.
Some types of indelible ink have a very short shelf
life because of the solvents used, which evaporate
rapidly.
India, Philippines, Indonesia and other developing
countries have used indelible in the form of
electoral stain to prevent electoral fraud.
The Election Commission in India has used
indelible ink for many elections.
Indonesia used it in their last election in
Aceh.
In Mali, the ink is applied to the fingernail.
PAPER.
The earliest form of material on which writing
was placed were the skins of animals called
PARCHMENT or VELLUM. The first artificial
material used in EGYPT and called PAPYRUS. The
word paper comes from this papyrus. The first
paper was made from RAGS. The easiest way of
identifying the date of manufacture of the paper
is by the watermark. This is the brand put on the
paper by the manufacturers.
 
MONEY COUNTERFEITING
 
MONEY COUNTERFIETING
EXAMINATION
Money Defined
• Money, any medium of exchange that is
widely accepted in payment for goods and
services and in settlement of debts.
• Money also serves as a standard of value
for measuring the relative worth of
different goods and services.
• The number of units of money required to
buy a commodity is the price of the
commodity.
 • The monetary unit chosen as a
measure of value need not, however,
be used widely, or even at all, as a
medium of exchange.
• During the colonial period in
America, for example, Spanish
currency was an important medium
of exchange, while the British pound
served as the standard of value.
 
PAPER – feel the paper – the
genuine note is printed on a special
kind of a paper which is rough when
you run your fingers through it. It
does not glow under the ultra-violet
light. During paper manufacturing,
the water marks, security fiber,
security treads and iridescent band
are included.
WATERMARK – examine the watermarks on
the unprinted portion of the note – The
watermark is the silhouette of the portrait
appearing on the face of the note. Sharp
details of the light and shadow effect can
be seen when the note is viewed against
the light. The contours of the features of
the silhouette can be felt by running the
finger over the design on relatively new
notes.
SECURITY FIBERS – Inspect the
security fibers –Embedded red
and blue visible fibers are
scattered at random on both
surfaces of a genuine note and
can be readily picked off by
means of any pointed
instrument.
EMBEDDED SECURITY THREAD – View
the embedded security thread- The
embedded security thread is a special
thread vertically implanted off center
of the note during paper manufacture.
This can easily be seen when the note
is viewed against the light. It appears as
a broken line for 5’s, 10’s and 20’s and
straight line for 50’s, 100’s , 500’s and
1000’s.
WINDOWED SECURITY THREAD – View the
windowed security thread on the improved
version of 100’s, 500’s, and 1000’s peso
notes and the new 200 peso notes. - The
windowed security thread is a narrow
security thread vertically located like
“stitches” at the face of the note with a
clear text of the numerical value in
repeated sequence and changes in color
from magenta to green or green to
magenta depending on the angle of view.
IRIDESCENT BAND – look for the
iridescent band on the improved
portion of 100’s, 500’s and 1000
peso notes and the new 200 peso
notes – A wide glistening gold
vertical stripe with the numerical
value printed in series.
PORTRAIT – appears life-like.
The eyes “sparkle”. Shading is
formed by the fine lines that
give the portrait a
characteristic facial
expression which is extremely
difficult to replace.
SERIAL NUMBER – composed of 1 or
2 prefix letters and 6 or 7 digits. The
letters and numerical are uniform in
size and thickness, evenly spaced
and well-aligned; they glow under
ultra violet light. A banknote with six
“0” digit serial number is a specimen
note and not a legal tender.
BACKGROUND/LACEWORK DESIGN –
the background designs are made up of
multicolored and well defined lines. The
lace work designs are composed of
web- crossing lines which are
continuous and traceable even at the
intersection.
VIGNETTE – the lines and
dashes composing the vignette
are fine, distinct and sharp; the
varying color gives a vivid look
to the picture that makes it
“stand out” of the paper.
VALUE PANEL – Check the numerals
found at the four corners of the front
and back of the note. The numerals
denote the denomination of note.
COLOR – recognize predominant color
of each denomination.
1000 peso – blue 50 peso – RED
500 peso - yellow 20 peso – orange
200 peso- green 10 peso –brown
100 peso – Mauve 5 peso – green
 
FLOURESCENT PRINTING – look for the
presence of the fluorescent print when
the note is exposed under the ultra
violent light. The fluorescent print is
the invisible numerical value located at
the center of the face of the note that
glows when exposed to ultra violet
light.
 
MICROPRINTING – verify under the
lens the presence of micro printing on
the denominations 50’s, 100’s, 200’s,
500’s, and 1000- Micro printing are the
minute and finely printed words
“Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas located at
the face or back of the note that are
clearly printed and readable.
OPTICALLY VARIABLE INK – checked
the optically variable ink on the
1000-peso denomination – It
changes color from green to blue or
blue to green when the note is held
at different angles.
 
The new and old back side of 50 Peso Bill
 THE NEW GENERATION
PHILIPPINE BANKNOTES
 So what’s new with these banknotes?

More realistic portraits of former

Philippine presidents and heroes

* Tourist destinations and notable

animals found in the country on
the reverse
* New BSP logo and Republic of
the Philippines Seal

* New euro-like design with

large numbers for easy
identification
*Security features are spruced most
noticeably the serial numbers which some
might find weird and the security thread
which is wider. A foil-like optically
variable device is found in the
new 500 and 1,000 peso bill.
* The paper used is “hygienically treated” or
has anti-bacterial properties.
THE NEW GENERATION PHILIPPINE
BANKNOTES
8. OPTICALLY VARIABLE DEVICE
A reflective foil that bears the image of the bluenaped Parrot
and a small BSP Logo
For 500 peso bill and a South Sea Pearl inside a clam and a
small BSP Logo for 1000
Peso bill. The color of the parrot (500 peso) and the clam
(1000 peso) changes from red
To green when the note is rotated at 90 degrees.