When I worked in Bloomingdales the last few years or so we were given those pens for $50’s and $100’s. Thing is, we had counterfeit $5 and $20 bills floating around when I worked there. A friend of mine was given a fake $20 from her bank at the time! I caught a fake bill in a cash drawer of my department, it didn’t say In God We Trust. When I called security the woman said, “so?” So, needless to say the training wasn’t very good if security doesn’t know a bill should say In God We Trust. I would think any 15 year old knows that. Especially back then in the mid to 90’s. This was back when debit cards were not around. If they were available they were just starting. I don’t know exactly what year debit cards started? So, people used a lot more cash than today, and should have known (in my opinion) basic things about cash. Now, I myself handle very little cash, and it has changed a lot, so I’m less aware of the details myself. Although, the In God We Trust would still stand out as missing.
I think since my friend was given a fake from her bank, that probably my store deposited some fake bills more than once during that time, not knowing they were fake, and the bank accepted them and reissued them to other people. I know my store caught some too, and they just took it as a loss, but if they caught 10 bills there were probably 20.
As a side note, one time, when I lived in Michigan (a border state) I asked for a roll of quarters at my bank when I withdrew some money. When I opened the roll at home it had 3 Canadian coins, which were worth 70¢ on the dollar at the time. I needed the coins for my laundry machine at my apartment, and Canadian coins wouldn’t work.
When I went back to the bank to switch them out they said they couldn’t give me US quarters for Canadian quarters. When I told her the bank gave them to me in a roll it was like she didn’t believe me. The next time I got a roll from the bank I broke it open there before leaving. I usually just saved up quarters from change from buying things, so I didn’t get rolls often. Those two times might have been it. Maybe there was a third.
My only point is even the banks screw it up.