CHANGCHUN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- If banknotes lie forgotten in a corner and end up ruined by mice or damaged in a fire, an eagle-eyed note checker may minimize your losses.
With a magnifying glass and a long needle in his hands, Liu Tiefeng, 60, buries himself in a pile of burnt banknotes, searching for any clues that can help determine their authenticity and value.
As a currency examiner in a bank in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, Liu is believed to be the best "detective" who can verify the authenticity and face value of badly damaged notes.
The notes Liu is working on belong to He, a fruit vendor from a remote village. He hid 30,000 yuan (around 4,700 U.S. dollars), the family's entire savings, in an aluminum case under bed because the nearest bank was far away and he thought it more convenient to keep the cash at home.
But the house caught fire and he risked his life to save the case, but the notes were so badly damaged that most banks were unable to verify them.
In China, banks must reimburse people with accidentally damaged or defaced banknotes, free of charge.
As a general rule, at least three quarters of the original bill needs to remain to receive full value, and for a banknote with half or more but less than three quarters of the original remaining, half the face value will be given.
The banknotes that has been damaged but not mutilated can usually be redeemed at a bank, while truly mutilated bills require special handling.
He at last came to Liu. "Burnt banknotes are extremely difficult to handle," said Liu. "they are very fragile and may fall apart when I touch them."
Liu's tools include scissors, a magnifying glass and a long needle. He tries to separate the burnt banknotes and examine anti-fake labels and printed pattern.
"Making money is not easy in the countryside. If they can't exchange the money, the family may be destitute. Helping them is my job and makes me feel good," said Liu.
A large amount of banknotes are damaged each year due to improper storage, causing heavy losses.
Over the past 15 years, Liu has helped people swap more than 17 million yuan. Most of them were elderly farmers and migrant workers who live in remote corners or have the habit of keeping cash at home.
He has seen cases that make him laugh and cry. Banknotes were gnawed by mice, burnt under a heatable brick bed, or buried underground to rot.
Years ago, a man at his fifties hid more than 70,000 yuan in a wall when he built his house. The money was for his son's marriage.
Five years later when his son was ready to marry, he found the money rotted by the rain. Liu helped him claim 44,000 yuan back, allowing the wedding ceremony to go ahead.
Determining the authenticity and value of money is a complicated and time-consuming process. Liu's skills, meticulous attitude and perseverance have attracted a lot of customers from afar and, of course, a number of crooks.
"My job seems to be ordinary, but it isn't. It's related to the interest of the country and people. If my reckoning is too high, the country suffers losses, too low and it's the people who suffer."
Liu will retire next month. He has trained many young bank staff over the years, hoping they will carry on his work.
"Advice for rural residents?" Liu laughed. "Keeping money in banks is safer than keeping it at home."
