This notice was posted around Apia this week:

Deadline For Exchanging Damaged Banknotes

Over the past few years, the Central Bank of Samoa has noticed an increase in the number of damaged notes created through deliberate defacing and poor handling by some members of the public. As a result, the cost to the country of printing new currency notes has risen substantially. In the event, the Central Bank has decidedto give the Public up to the 30 April 2003 to turn in any damaged currency notes in their possession to the Central Bank for replacement.

From the 1st May 2003, the Central Bank will no longer accept willfully damaged currency notes for reimbursement. Members of the Public are reminded to carefully check all currency notes, which come into their possession at this time, to ensure the notes they have are of good quality.

Anyone who believes he or she is in possession of damaged currency notes should come to the Central Bank, before the 1st May 2003, for reimbursement of these notes.

The Public is again reminded that from the 1st May 2003, the Central Bank will no longer accept damaged currency notes.

The question I have is how can the bank tell if a note has been damaged willfully or is just plain old?