What is important to compare when handling suspected counterfeit currency?

When handling suspected counterfeit currency, it is crucial to compare suspected bills to genuine bills. This process allows postal workers and other personnel to examine specific security features and characteristics that are unique to legitimate currency. Genuine notes have distinctive elements such as watermarks, security threads, color-shifting inks, and microprinting that counterfeit bills often lack or poorly replicate.

By directly comparing a suspected counterfeit bill with an authentic one, the differences in texture, color, and print quality become clear, making it easier to identify fraudulent currency. This method is essential for ensuring the integrity of transactions and maintaining trust in the currency system.

The other options—comparing bank notes of different denominations, currency from different countries, and old bills to new bills—do not specifically target the verification of a bill’s authenticity against the standards set for legitimate currency. While those comparisons may provide some context or understanding of currency variations, they do not serve the primary purpose of distinguishing counterfeits from genuine notes effectively.