At first glance, they look like little more than random ink stains. Tiny circles, initials, symbols, or faded stamps scattered across a U.S. dollar bill might seem like damage—or even evidence that someone simply scribbled on the note. Yet in many parts of the world, those seemingly insignificant marks tell a remarkable story. They are known as chop marks, and each one represents a moment when trust had to be earned before business could continue. Long before electronic payment systems and sophisticated counterfeit detectors became common, merchants handling foreign currency faced a difficult challenge. Every…
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