| Well then I guess it's settled - the US Federal Reserve notes are truly inferior to Bitcoin in terms of counterfeit resistance! Humor aside, "When currency is deposited with a Federal Reserve Bank, the quality of each note is evaluated by sophisticated processing equipment. Notes that meet our strict quality criteria--that is, that are still in good condition--continue to circulate, while those that do not are taken out of circulation and destroyed. This process determines the lifespan of a Federal Reserve note." Not only does the Federal Reserve routinely remove counterfeit notes from circulation, they even routinely remove non-counterfeit notes that are older or have physical damage from circulation! You'll also find on the source link below, typical lifespans of circulation for various notes, as follows: Denomination - Estimated Lifespan $1 - 6.6 years $5 - 4.7 years $10 - 5.3 years $20 - 7.8 years $50 - 12.2 years $100 - 22.9 years So no, nobody is going to bat an eye at a 10-year-old 100-dollar federal reserve note, but by 25 years old, it would be likely to have already been removed from circulation. The 10-year timeframe you mention is more appropriate for $20 and below, but those notes tend to be counterfeited less than larger notes. Source: https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/how-long-is-the-life-spa... |