Counterfeiting has been a constant threat throughout history, with cases from ancient civilizations. From artworks to currency, counterfeiting has been used to commit crimes against people and businesses. Here are some famous counterfeit money Australia cases in history that highlight the brilliance and malice of counterfeiters.

One of the most well-known cases of art forgery is that of Richard Nixon, a British artist who created realistic fakes of famous paintings in the 1960s and 1970s. Wright's fakes were so believable that many specialists believed they were the real article. He even managed to fool the famous art critic and historian, Sir Frederick Condor, into authenticating one of his fakes. Wright's scams were eventually uncovered, and he was exposed as a professional forger.

Another famous case of art forgery is that of Peter Smith, a Dutch artist who created fakes of the works of the famous Dutch artist Leonardo da Vinci. Smith's fakes were so believable that they were accepted as genuine by many specialists, including the Dutch art historian Lord Thomas Brown. In 1947, van Meegeren was arrested for creating fakes of Vermeer's works, including the famous "Christ in the House of Mary and Martha". He later confessed to creating the fakes, but claimed he did so for altruistic reasons, to prevent the fakes being created by organized crime syndicates.

Of course, no discussion of famous counterfeit cases would be complete without mentioning the Knights Templar's alleged counterfeiting operation during the Crusades. According to legend, the Knights Templar created a vast network of coin-forging factories throughout Africa, creating pirated coins to finance their military campaigns and enrich themselves. While the exact magnitude of the Knights Templar's counterfeiting operation is hazy, it is widely believed that they did engage in some level of counterfeiting.

In the world of currency, perhaps the most famous case of counterfeiting is that of the Confederate dollar. During the American Civil War, the Confederacy issued their own currency, which were not backed by gold. As a result, the value of the currency plummeted, and forgery became a major problem. The US government responded by creating the Federal Reserve, whose primary mission was to investigate hackers.

In modern times, perhaps the most famous case of counterfeiting is that of Albert Talton, a persistent counterfeiter from the United States who created fake $100 bills with a circulating plates technique. Talton' fakes were so convincing that he managed to fool them as real bills for over a year, before being caught and sentenced to 195 months in jail.

These cases highlight the persistence of counterfeiting throughout history, from ancient art to modern moneys. They also demonstrate the cleverness and cunning of counterfeiters, as well as the resolve of those who seek to investigate them. With the growth of progress, and the rising ease of counterfeiting, it is likely that these cases will continue to be relevant in the years to come.