Mimic dust

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki

Mimic dust was a type of technology that could simulate other items, such as credits, but would disintegrate once it was touched.

[edit] Fiction

[edit] Generation 1 cartoon

The Quintessons supposedly paid Dirk Manus after the delivery of the Recreator, but instead he discovered that he'd been paid in mimic dust, which appeared as credits but disintegrated when he touched it.

After helping the Autobots, Marissa Faireborn was betrayed by Dirk, who stole his "reward" of credits but learned that Faireborn had tricked him and also given him mimic dust shaped as credits. Money is Everything