Contaminated Currency and Coin

Contaminated Currency Procedures During Normal Operations

Contaminated currency is defined as currency that has been damaged by or exposed to contaminants, poses a health hazard or safety risk, and cannot be processed under normal operating procedures. This definition does not apply to currency that has been exposed to a bio-terrorist (either biological or chemical) agent. Please contact your local Federal Reserve Bank FedCash® Services management for specific instructions for handling bio-terrorist contaminated currency. In general, contamination may be caused by the following:

  • Floodwater or any prolonged exposure to water or other liquids
  • Exposure to blood, urine, feces or any other bodily fluids, including removal from any body cavity, corpse or animal
  • Exposure to sewage
  • Exposure to any foreign substance or chemical, including dye-packs, which may pose a health hazard or safety risk
  • Mold or mildew

Decontaminating Coin

Per Operating Circular 2, Section 4.4, customers who are in possession of contaminated coin and wish to deposit it are instructed to contact the Federal Reserve Banks for further instructions.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) does not publish guidelines for sanitizing coin specifically, but they indicate that coin is a solid surface material and should be cleaned and sanitized per the instructions for “Other Household Surfaces and Items”.

Clean and Sanitize Other Household Surfaces and Items

Surfaces that do not soak up water and that may have touched floodwater [Examples: floors, stoves, sinks, certain toys, countertops, flatware, plates, and tools]

Instructions for cleaning and sanitizing Other Household Surfaces and Items:

  1. Clean surface with soap and clean water.
  2. Disinfect with a mixture of 1 cup of bleach to 5 gallons of water. For more information please visit http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/after.asp#cleanup (Off-site Link)
  3. Allow to air dry.

 

Visit www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters (Off-site Link) or call (800) 232-4636 for additional information.

Procedures for handling contaminated currency differ depending on the Reserve Bank Office. To obtain the correct procedures, select the appropriate office from the following menu:

Contaminated Currency Procedures

For more information about FedCash Services processing and operations, visit the service offerings pages or consult your local FedCash Services contact.

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