Six checks the State Bank of Vietnam puts on every polymer note — and how a fake fails each one.
Source
Based on the State Bank of Vietnam’s public guidance on genuine vs. counterfeit money.
The method
Look · Touch · Tilt · Window — six quick checks, no tools needed for most.
01 · Hold to light
Watermark, security thread & see-through register
02 · Feel it
Intaglio (raised) printing
03 · Tilt it
Colour-shifting ink (OVI) & iridescent stripe
04 · Check windows
Transparent windows — embossing & latent image
05 · Magnify
Microprinting
06 · UV light
UV fluorescence
Check by check
Step 01 · Hold to light
Watermark, security thread & see-through register
Hold the note up against a bright light and look through it.
10,000–500,000đ✓ Genuine
Hồ Chí Minh's portrait watermark and a shadow of the denomination appear on both sides; the embedded security thread reads 'NHNNVN' + the value as a dark line; front and back patterns line up into one whole image.
✕ Counterfeit
Watermark looks printed-on, flat and blurry; the 'thread' is just a printed line, not embedded in the polymer.
Step 02 · Feel it
Intaglio (raised) printing
Run a fingertip across the portrait and the lettering.
All polymer notes✓ Genuine
The portrait, the national emblem, the large numerals and 'CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM' feel rough and raised — you can feel the relief.
✕ Counterfeit
The surface is uniformly smooth and flat — printed by inkjet/laser, no raised feel.
Step 03 · Tilt it
Colour-shifting ink (OVI) & iridescent stripe
Tilt the note back and forth under light and watch the corner numeral.
10,000–500,000đ✓ Genuine
On 100,000–500,000đ the denomination numeral shifts colour (gold ↔ green) as you tilt; on 10,000–20,000đ a vertical iridescent stripe shimmers and shows the value.
✕ Counterfeit
The numeral stays one flat colour; any 'stripe' is dull and doesn't shift.
Step 04 · Check windows
Transparent windows — embossing & latent image
Find the clear plastic windows and tilt them toward a light source.
50,000–500,000đ✓ Genuine
The large window has the denomination embossed (DOE) — you can feel it; the small window reveals a latent denomination image when tilted to the light.
✕ Counterfeit
Windows are cloudy or printed over; no embossing, no latent image.
Step 05 · Magnify
Microprinting
Look at the fine patterns under a magnifier or a phone-camera zoom.
All polymer notes✓ Genuine
Tiny repeated micro-text 'NHNNVN' / 'VN' and the denomination is crisp and fully legible; guilloché lines stay clean and unbroken.
✕ Counterfeit
Micro-text dissolves into blurry dots; fine lines smear or break up.
Step 06 · UV light
UV fluorescence
Shine a UV (blacklight) lamp on the note in a dark spot.
All polymer notes✓ Genuine
The serial numbers and select patterns glow brightly; the windowed security thread fluoresces. The polymer base itself stays dark (no whole-note glow).
✕ Counterfeit
Either nothing glows, or the whole note glows uniformly (ordinary paper brightener).
Try it
Verify a note
Tick each check your note passes. This is a learning drill, not an authentication device.
Verdict
Too few checks — be cautious
0/6
Educational only. If in doubt, refuse the note or check at a bank.
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