New $5 Bill Safer and More Secure
The new U.S. $5.00 Bill was put into circulation on March 13, 2008. The US Treasury updated the bill to make it safer and more secure than its predecessor. These new bills are harder to fake and much easier for store owners, banks and the government to check for authenticity.
The new $5 notes have two new watermarks that are easy to see by holding the bill up to a light. The first is a large “5” to the right of the Abraham Lincoln portrait. The second is a group of three smaller “5”s located on the left side of the portrait. The bills also have an updated embedded security strip. The strip has the letters “USA” and the number “5” alternating down it. The strip allows for the bill to be verified by running an ultraviolet flashlight over it – it will glow blue if it is a true bill.
The new $5 also has a revised design that incorporates some color and a large purple “5” in the bottom right corner. This new bill was built to be smarter than the tricky counterfeiters that still exist out their. By creating a more complex note with easier to detect features, the government hopes to help banks and retailers fight counterfeiters.
Pictured: LED Lenser Dual Ultraviolet flashlight
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