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Readers who were wondering why the most recently spotted version of the North Korean-manufactured USD$100 "Supernote" was a Series 2006, which was produced in the US prior to the implementation of strict anti-counterfeiting safeguards, should be aware that the counterfeits were NOT made in 2017, but several years prior. The note found late last year in a South Korean bank, as well as other exemplars found, have a musty aroma, from obvious storage for years.
Additionally, reliable sources advise of the existence of stored quantities of the Series 2006 version several years in the past, and the previous appearance of a quantity in the Middle East, leading to the presumption that they actually were manufactured at a date close to that which appears on the bills. The 2006 Series was the last version prior to major changes in design, paper, hologram, strip, micro printing, and other protective measures, and the North Koreans, if printing in 2017, would choose a recent version, to facilitate acceptance when their bogus notes were passed or sold off in bulk.
We again caution bankers against accepting any quantities of USD$100 bills bearing the date 2006. Should you already have such items in your possession, running them through a deposit procedure on an automatic teller machine (ATM) should result in their rejection by the program, and therefore confirmation of their counterfeit status. Typically, only a small percentage of any quantity of 100s are 2006; Just as you may now decline pre-1999 Series bills, place the 2006 version on same status with your tellers, and ask them to be attentive to anyone seeking to deposit the same in an account.
Chronicles of Monte Friesner - Financial Crime Analyst 
Contributed by Kenneth Rijock - Financial Crime Consultant
