Most people handle cash without giving it much thought, glancing at the amount before folding it away. Occasionally, though, a bill stands out because of an unfamiliar symbol or tiny stamped mark near the portrait or margin. One common example is a small bow-and-arrow–like emblem that looks mysterious at first, raising suspicions of graffiti, codes, or counterfeiting. In reality, these markings are part of a practice known as chop marking, a tradition far older than modern paper currency. Chop marks act as informal verification stamps, telling a quiet story about where a bill has traveled and how it was trusted...
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