Counterfeits of the banknotes of the Kingdom of Serbia

The first counterfeit of the banknote of the Kingdom of Serbia appeared in 1891, or exactly six years after the ten dinar banknote in silver was put in circulation. Six years later a new counterfeit of this banknote appeared, but this time was much more dangerous. It was made in Gomos (Austro-Hungary) and an attempt of passing it was discovered in Sabac. Austro-Hungarian authorities arrested the forgers quickly, confiscated the whole material and brought the participants into court. The second two attempts of counterfeiting were discovered by the help of informers even before the forgers succeeded in making the banknotes. Both attempts were tried abroad, one in 1899 in Sophia, and the second in 1921 in Temishvar. It is interesting that both attempts were discovered during the purchasing the lithography stone. One of the most perfect counterfeits of the ten dinar banknote in silver before the war was discovered in the village of Kicevci near Kragujevac. It was so well made in all details that it differed from the real banknote very little. Apart from color and paper, water seal was also well made. Thanks to the noticeable behavior, so that they managed to pass only 114 pieces. The forgers were persecuted by the Belgrade district court. If the quantity of spread banknotes was taken for criterion, then the largest in the Kingdom of Serbia before the war was the so-called Nis counterfeit, which was discovered in 1906. Although the counterfeits could be easily noticed because of its technical faults, the forgers, thanks to carelessness of the villagers, managed to pass a greater quantity in Nis district, and some of it in Bulgaria and Romania. This counterfeit was also related to a ten dinar banknote in silver, which was in usage before the war. Other banknotes, especially those in gold, were more seldom in use. They were paid more attention to so that they were not interesting to the forgers, and the only exception was a hundred dinar banknote in silver from 1915 which was counterfeited a few times.
One more attempt was made during the war and it can be considered as a unique one by its details. The attempt was with the banknotes withdrawn from use, that were already perforated and prepared for burning but because of the sudden evacuation of the National Bank from Belgrade, they remained in the bank vault. The occupation authorities forced the enemy into the bank vault and spread the perforated banknotes in considerable number. They were used by the enemy for agitation, as evidence that the Serbian money lost every value. When the National Bank returned to Belgrade it was found out that a few individuals tried more than once to pass the banknotes that were glued on the perforated places.