money...

[dwomack@runner.utsa.edu (David L Womack)]

I'd appreciate any opinions/info available
on whether a rumor I heard is true or not.

I just learned that US bills, $20 and above,
have a magnetic strip embedded in the bill, on
the left hand side.  Looking at the front of
the bill, under the "U" in United States,
it's clearly visible on those bill printed
in 1990 and thereafter.  Supposedly, bills
in the $5 and $10 amounts have started being
fixed in such a way.

Now...the interesting part.  The rumor is
that it is possible to detect, at a modest
distance, the existance of and the amount
of currancy being carried.  Thus, if a person
boarded an airplane carrying $12,000 in cash
in a money belt, it would be possible to 
detect that fact.  The rumor expands that
this has in fact already been implemented at
one airport (at least).

Any thoughts?