Printing money

More than meets the eye, Counterfeiters (of $100 bills);

The redesigned banknote, which features a portrait of US founding father and scientist Benjamin Franklin, also includes raised "intaglio" printing that gives the notes a distinctive feel, and microprinted words that are difficult to read without magnification.

To stay a step ahead of the private sector;

Advances in design software and high-resolution copying and printing have made it easier for counterfeiters to print fake money and harder for retailers to spot the forgeries.

Like any manufacturer, The Fed-Treasury has costs to control;

"Bills have to be easy to produce cheaply and in large quantities by the government, yet hard to reproduce in small quantities by counterfeiters.

"Making something that costs less than a dollar to produce and over $100 to reproduce is a very difficult problem."

Which would seem to indicate that some day cash will not be king.