From: gtoal@an-teallach.com (Graham Toal)
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 18:09:46 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: money...
Message-ID: <199403120208.CAA02988@an-teallach.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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	Seems nonsensical.  Detectors of money containing
	trace amounts of magnetized metals would have
	real trouble with other magnetized metal going by,
	and they're not going to stop people at airports to

*If* this were true (which I strongly doubt at the 99% confidence level),
it would work not with metal detection but with detection of a tuned
circuit which would oscillate at a harmonic if you broadcast a certain
frequency at it.  There are several patents for such circuits - they're
used in little strips that are slid down the spine of library books
for instance.

It could only ever be a gross detection measure - I guess it could be
made to catch sums considerably over the 10,000$ cash limit quite
effectively.

But the fact is, people can strip a bill down and *look* at these things
for themselves.  I seriously doubt any such technology would remain
invisible to some lab hack who in an idle moment put it under his SEM
for a quick peek.  (*any* school that fabs its own ICs could do it
trivially in seconds.)

G