Counterfeit
Money? Somehow, a red, green and yellow Del Monte sticker was placed next to Andrew Jackson's portrait on a $20 bill. The bill originated at a U.S. Treasury Department printing facility in Fort Worth, but it is not known at this time how the fruit tag became afixed.
The bill's seal and serial number are printed on top of the sticker, meaning the fruit tag must have been on the bill midway through the printing process. There's no way of knowing whether a mischievous printer intentionally placed the sticker. Jason Bradford, president of PCGS Currency in Newport Beach, Calif., authenticated the error was genuine and not fake. The Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which produces all U.S. paper money at facilities in Washington and Fort Worth, inspects and destroys flawed currency before it escapes the plants. It investigated the note's history after the misprint surfaced but couldn't pinpoint a cause.
As of Thursday, auctioneers had already received an online bid of $14,000 for the bill.
Learn how to spot fake counterfeit money.
