Filmmakers use prop money in movies and TV shows due to laws regulating the use of real currency. Counterfeit money must be printed on one side only and significantly larger or smaller than real currency. RJR Props charges $45 to $65 USD for a stack of $100 prop bills. Unrealistic banknotes can be valuable to collectors.
While filmmakers are allowed to use real currency in movies and TV shows, it’s not always easy to get your hands on the stacks of hundred-dollar bills that might be needed for casino scenes or heists. And you can’t destroy real currency on screen, like the Joker does when he burns a bunch of cash in The Dark Knight. There are also very specific laws governing the use and appearance of stage money. In the United States, the production of counterfeit money is regulated by the Counterfeit Detection Act of 1992, which mandates that film paper money must be printed on one side only and must be significantly larger or smaller than real currency. The same is true in the UK, where the Bank of England has similar guidelines. Furthermore, under British law, counterfeit banknotes must not distort the image of the Queen.
Show me the money:
A manufacturer of prop money, RJR Props in Atlanta, says they charge $45 to $65 USD for a stack of $100 prop bills, depending on the quality. If you want bills that look like they’ve been around for a while, that’s $20 more.
For collectors of movie props, unrealistic banknotes can be especially valuable, such as the Back to the Future Part II banknotes featuring the likeness of Biff Tannen.
While filming the 2001 action comedy Rush Hour 2 in Las Vegas, an explosion scene sent thousands of realistic-looking bills flying through the air. When the fake money started appearing in casinos, federal agents were alerted.
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