16. Prop Money

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• The production of realistic prop money operates in a legal gray area, requiring manufacturers to implement specific design changes to avoid violating federal counterfeiting laws, despite the Secret Service technically considering most prop money counterfeit.  Copied to clipboard!
• The industry for prop money has evolved from using old, large foreign currency to requiring highly realistic reproductions, leading to specialized companies like RJR Props and Prop Movie Money that must work closely with federal officials to ensure compliance.  Copied to clipboard!
• The proliferation of online sellers has led to a 25% surge in prop money being passed as real currency, causing significant problems for businesses and prompting calls for online retailers to delist these items.  Copied to clipboard!

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Rush Hour 2 Prop Money Incident

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(00:01:28)

• Key Takeaway: The 2001 filming of Rush Hour 2 resulted in prop money scattering, leading to police and Secret Service involvement and production shutdowns.
• Summary: A scene in Rush Hour 2 involved a massive amount of fake cash raining down during a zipline escape. In the following weeks, this prop money showed up at local businesses and was spent, leading to police and Secret Service intervention and halting the production. This incident remains a cautionary tale in the film industry regarding prop money security.

History of Counterfeit Currency Laws

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• Key Takeaway: The Secret Service was originally created by Abraham Lincoln to combat widespread counterfeit currency, leading to early bans on U.S. currency reproduction.
• Summary: One-third of U.S. currency was counterfeit 150 years ago, prompting President Lincoln to establish the Secret Service under the Treasury Department. The agency’s initial mission included banning reproductions of U.S. currency, forcing early filmmakers to use creative alternatives like devalued Mexican banknotes.

Prop Maker’s Compliance Journey

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(00:03:36)

• Key Takeaway: Prop maker Rich Rappaport spent three years consulting with the Secret Service to ensure his realistic prop money designs were legal, only to have initial perfect batches ordered destroyed.
• Summary: Prop maker Rich Rappaport, owner of RJR Props, studied counterfeiting laws extensively to create believable prop money. He engaged in a three-year back-and-forth process with the Secret Service to validate his designs. Despite initial approval, the Secret Service ultimately required him to destroy a batch because it was deemed ’too good’ or too realistic.

Legal Restrictions on Prop Money

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(00:06:29)

• Key Takeaway: Federal law dictates that prop money must be 1.5 times larger or less than three-quarters the size of real currency, and must only be printed on one side, though enforcement is selective.
• Summary: Former Secret Service agent Glenn Kessler confirmed that Title 18, Section 474, restricts currency reproduction, and the Counterfeit Detection Act of 1992 requires prop money to be oversized or undersized and printed only on one side. The Secret Service technically considers most prop money counterfeit, but enforcement is selective when there is no intent to pass it as real currency.

Distinguishing Legal Prop Money

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(00:08:16)

• Key Takeaway: Legal prop money must feature explicit textual and design alterations, such as replacing official signatures and using phrases like ‘for motion picture use only’.
• Summary: RJR Props distinguishes its money with numerous design changes, including replacing official signatures with phrases like ‘I’m a not real’ and ’not real currency.’ Security features, microprint, watermarks, and threads must be completely redesigned from scratch to avoid copying real currency elements.

Prop Money Pricing and Use Cases

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(00:09:11)

• Key Takeaway: A stack of 100 prop bills costs between $45 and $85 in real money, and this product is used widely in major films, music videos, and even by celebrities like 50 Cent.
• Summary: Rappaport’s prop money, which includes aged and weathered versions, has appeared in productions like Ozark and videos by artists like Drake. While real money can be used on set, prop money is preferred due to the high liability of losing large sums of actual cash. Rappaport limits sales to production companies to prevent practical jokes or misuse.

Rise of Online Counterfeit Sales

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(00:11:43)

• Key Takeaway: The ease of buying prop money online has created a market where bad actors sell actual counterfeit currency under the guise of ‘prop money,’ leading to a 25% surge in related cases.
• Summary: Online sellers have made prop money accessible to the general public, which has opened the door for illegal sales of actual counterfeit currency on platforms like Amazon and Alibaba. Ex-Secret Service agent Glenn Kessler noted a spike in these sellers around 2017, with illegally imported notes from overseas often going undetected by customs.

Impact of Illicit Prop Money Use

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(00:17:37)

• Key Takeaway: Prop money crimes are widespread, involving purchases ranging from cars to pizza, and retailers often accept it accidentally due to high transaction volume and low clerk attention.
• Summary: Reported crimes involving prop money span nearly every state, used for transactions like buying cars and even swapping deposits at places like Home Depot. Retailers frequently accept the fake bills by accident, especially when clerks are busy, which significantly impacts small businesses’ bottom lines.

Profit Margins and Industry Risks

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(00:19:25)

• Key Takeaway: The profit margin for legitimate prop money providers is thin, often making it a loss leader, especially given the high costs of materials and the risk of massive financial loss from regulatory issues.
• Summary: Juan Amaya of Prop Movie Money notes that paper costs severely impact his thin profit margin, forcing him to print infrequently. The vendor who supplied the Rush Hour 2 explosion scene faced a cease and desist and had to destroy six figures worth of inventory, illustrating the severe financial risk involved in the business.