The Economics of Everyday Things 16. Prop Money
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Feb 23, 2026 Rich Rappaport, longtime prop maker and owner of RJR Props in Atlanta, discusses crafting realistic film and TV prop money while navigating legal limits. He talks about design tweaks to fool the camera, interactions with federal reviewers, and why productions avoid real cash. The conversation also covers the flood of online prop notes and the industry challenges that follow.
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When Movie Money Shut Down A Production
- Rush Hour 2's fake cash blew into Las Vegas and was spent at businesses, forcing the production to be shut down.
- The vendor received a cease and desist and its inventory had to be destroyed, costing a fortune and making the industry tremble.
Secret Service Rules Shaped Prop Money Design
- The Secret Service created post-Civil War to combat rampant counterfeit currency and banned reproductions of U.S. bills.
- That legal backdrop forced Hollywood to use foreign notes early on and later to design heavily altered prop money.
Prop Maker Said 'Burn It' After Secret Service Praise
- Rich R. J. Rappaport studied prop money design and worked with the Secret Service for years to ensure his bills stayed legal.
- The agency called his first batch "perfect" then ordered him to destroy it because it was too realistic.