The pens just look for starches in the paper used. Wood fiber paper has a lot of starches that cotton rag doesn't, the ink darkens if starch is present.
A good counterfeit will be printed on the right paper, but it's unlikely that nigger is going to have a good counterfeit.
Combination. Defense in depth. I'd use the pen and UV light. The bills also have ink whose patterns you can feel. Having a legit bill on hand is good for comparison.
TIL
Supposedly, bills made before 1960 don't work with these pens.
(post is archived)