Currency index
Advertisements
United States five dollar bill
Quick links to banknotes
Older Series
Description:
Size: 155.956 x 66.294 mm
Paper type: 75% cotton, 25% linen
The United States five dollar bill or fiver is a
denomination of United States currency. The 5 dollar bill currently features U.S.
President Abraham Lincoln's portrait on the front and the Lincoln Memorial on
the back. All $5 notes issued today are Federal Reserve Notes. Five dollar bills
are delivered by Federal Reserve Banks in red straps.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing
says the average life of a United States five dollar bill in circulation is 16 months before it is
replaced due to wear. Approximately 12.88% of all paper currency produced by the
U.S. Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing in 2017 were 5 bills.
The new redesign $5 bill incorporates
security features that are easy to use and harder for counterfeiters to fake.
The redesigned $5 bill entered circulation on March 13, 2008.
Security Features:
Security features can help you to tell if a 5 dollar bill is fake or real.
Watermarks
There are two watermarks on the redesigned 5 dollar bill. A large numeral 5 watermark is
located to the right of the portrait, replacing the previous portrait watermark
of President Abraham Lincoln found on older design $5 bills. Its location is
highlighted by a blank window incorporated into the background design. A second
watermark — a column of three smaller 5s — has been added to the new five dollar
bill design and is positioned to the left of the portrait. Hold your bill to
light and look for these two watermarks.
Security Thread
The embedded security thread, which is located to the left of the portrait on
older-design $5 bills, has moved to the right of the portrait on the redesigned
$5 bill. Hold your bill to light and look for the embedded security thread. The
letters USA followed by the numeral 5 in an alternating
pattern are visible along the thread. The security thread glows blue when
illuminated by ultraviolet light.
Color
The most noticeable difference in the redesigned 5 dollar bill is the addition of light purple in the center of the bill, which blends into gray near the edges. Small yellow 05s are printed to the left of the portrait on the front of the bill and to the right of the Lincoln Memorial vignette on the back. Because color can be duplicated by potential counterfeiters, it should not be used to verify the authenticity of the bill.
Symbols of Freedom
An American symbol of freedom has been added to the
background of the redesigned $5 bill. The Great Seal of the United States,
featuring an eagle and shield, is printed in purple to the right of the portrait
of President Lincoln. An arc of purple stars surrounds the portrait and The
Great Seal. The symbols of freedom differ for each denomination.
Updated Portrait and Vignette
The oval borders around President Lincoln’s portrait on the front and the Lincoln Memorial vignette on
the back have been removed. The portrait has been moved up and the shoulders
have been extended into the border. Engraving details have been added to the
vignette, framing the Lincoln Memorial against a sky full of clouds.
Low-Vision Feature
The numeral 5 in
the lower right corner on the back of the bill was enlarged for the redesigned
$5 bill and printed in high-contrast purple ink to help those with visual
impairments distinguish the denomination.
Microprinting
The redesigned United States five dollar bill
features microprinting on the front of the banknote in three areas: the words FIVE DOLLARS can be found repeated inside the left and right borders of
the bill; the words E PLURIBUS UNUM appear at the top of the shield
within the Great Seal; and the word USA is repeated in between the
columns of the shield. On the back of the note the words USA FIVE
appear along one edge of the large purple 5 low-vision feature. Because
they are so small, microprinted words are hard to replicate.
Federal Reserve Indicators
A universal seal to the
left of the portrait represents the entire Federal Reserve System. A letter and
number beneath the left serial number identifies the issuing Federal Reserve
Bank. There are 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks and 24 branches located in
major cities throughout the United States.
Serial Numbers
The unique combination of eleven numbers and letters
appears twice on the front of the bill. On the redesigned 5 dollar bill, the left
serial number has shifted slightly to the right, compared with previous designs.
Because they are unique identifiers, serial numbers help law enforcement
identify counterfeit notes, and they also help the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing track quality standards for the notes they produce.
Check this video of fake 5 dollar bill
In this video you can see a fake U.S 5 Dollar bill compared to a real one.
Sources:
uscurrency.gov
wikipedia.org
Follow currencyguide.eu