The pictures on the left are counterfeited currency and the pictures on the right are pictures of genuine currency. The counterfeit portrait is usually lifeless and flat.
Details merge into the background which is often too dark or motted.
On a genuine bill, the saw-tooth points of the Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals are clear, distinct, and sharp. The counterfeit seals may have uneven, blunt, or broken saw-tooth points. The fine lines in the border of a genuine note are clear and unbroken. On the counterfeit, the lines in the outer margin and scrollwork may be blurred and indistinct. The serial numbers are printed in the same ink color as the Treasury Seal.