Grab a magnifying glass if you’ve got one, or squint really hard. Look at the lower left of the portrait, near the “20” — you’ll see a small panel with the words “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” printed in tiny, crisp letters.
On a real bill, the microprinting is sharp and readable. On a fake, it often looks like a smudgy mess, or the letters are too big and run together. It’s like reading a ransom note written by a toddler.
If it’s blurry, it’s a no-go.
