(March 13, 2008) – Today, Federal Reserve banks will begin distributing redesigned $5 bills to customer banks, which will then distribute them to businesses and consumers. The new $5 bill designs will circulate first in the U.S. and gradually spread to other countries as international banks place orders for them from the Federal Reserve.
According to the Fed’s news release:
“The new $5 bill incorporates state-of-the-art security features that are easy to use by cash handlers and consumers alike. Hold the bill to the light to check for these features:
Watermarks: There are now two watermarks on the redesigned $5 bill. A large number “5” watermark is located in a blank space to the right of the portrait replacing the previous watermark portrait of President Lincoln found on the older-design $5 bills. A second watermark — a column of three smaller “5”s — has been added to the new $5 bill design and is positioned to the left of the portrait.
Security Thread: The embedded security thread runs vertically and is now located to the right of the portrait on the redesigned $5 bill. The letters “USA” followed by the number “5” in an alternating pattern are visible along the thread from both sides of the bill. The thread glows blue when held under ultraviolet light.”
Here’s a picture of the new design:
The new features were introduced in order to prevent one of counterfeiters’ new favorite techniques: bleaching the ink out of existing $5 bills and – since several of the security features are located in the same place on both denominations – printing them to look like $100 bills, U.S. officials said in an online press conference.
JR
Abraham Lincoln is looking very dignified, nice change.