Honest Abe's $5 Portrait Gets Touch-Up

(AP)  Abraham Lincoln is getting a little color in his cheeks.

New $5 bills bearing the gaunt visage of the nation's 16th president - but with some touches of color added - are making their way to banks and cash registers near you.

The bill goes into circulation Thursday. That's when the Federal Reserve, the supplier of the nation's cash, starts shipping the bills to banks, which send them to businesses and eventually into the hands of people in this country and beyond.

Fittingly, the new bill will be spent for the first time on Thursday at the gift shop of President Lincoln's Cottage located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in northwest Washington.

It's the latest in a series of redesigned notes aimed at foiling phony-money makers, who over the years have grown increasingly sophisticated.

Lincoln, the nation's 16th president, is still on the front and the Lincoln Memorial remains on the back.

To the naked eye, the most notable difference is color - splashes of light purple at the center of the bill that blend into gray near the edges.

Small yellow "05" numerals are printed to the left of Lincoln on the front and to the right of the memorial on the back. The Great Seal of the United States, which features an eagle and shield, will appear in purple to the right of the president's portrait. Arcs of purple stars border Lincoln and the seal.

The note also will feature an enlarged "5" printed in high-contrast purple ink in the lower right corner of the back of the bill. It also will have two separate watermarks and a number of other high-tech changes to make it harder for counterfeiters to knock off.

The old $5 bills will continue to be accepted and recirculated until they wear out.

The makeover of the $5 bill is similar to changes to $10, $20 and $50 bills.

Next up for a new look: the $100 bill.

[michellem99-2009]

They check them and look for the treads,water marks.

[jaykay3141]

"With color laser printers they can scan and copy ANY changes, who the h3!! looks for microscopic threads and security tape embedded in the paper?"

... which is why IMO the new bills don''t go far enough. The insistence on keeping what the politicians call "a uniquely American look" (see the BEP website for that quote) means our bills STILL don''t have anti-counterfeiting features that are obvious to a store clerk or ordinary consumer. Canadian bills have surface holograms. EU bills have holograms *and* special front-to-back alignments that are almost impossible to duplicate on a color printer. Australia uses a special polymer plastic instead of paper.

But we good ''mericans know better. Them other bills is bein'' printed by a bunch''a dumb furriners who''s are makin'' Monopoly money that ain''t worth nuthin.

Yeah, right. Wait till we have to start using Ameros.

[michellem99-2009]

Dear Brit,
I can underdand where yer coming from but. They have added things to the new bills that a copier can not copy. I have never seen a pound that is yer money. see my first post on this.

[slim1h2o]

We''re becoming just like Mexico,,,we''re going to need a wheelbarrel full of money,,just to buy a cheeseburger..

[shanev137]

Besides, shrub''''s money boys have made our currency worthless...


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If it drops any lower they''ll have to bring back the $500 and $1000 bills.

[iceman_1960]

"The new $5 bill.

Instead of "In God We Trust", it says "Good for 1 Pint of Gasoline."

- Conan O"Brien

[cyberus-2009]

IMHO the problem with the new bills is they aren''t taking the OLD ones out of circulation immediately.
Working in a restaurant you can see many different types of bills .. which could be fake? who knows because they are all *legal*

I think that if they are going to do this they need to sunset the old bills.

[newsterl]

I think the changed 5,20 and 100 bills are ugly as chit, just LOOK at Jackson''s portrait, his shoulders and upper body look like he is emaciated or has AIDS, while the head is far too large- it''s a HORRIBLE portrait. Making it bigger isnt going to stop counterfeiting- making it bigger is EASIER to counterfeit.

[tryhonesty]

Can someone explain to me, why wouldn''t a phoney money maker produce the "old" bills? Sorry, I do not get the logic. Besides, shrub''s money boys have made our currency worthless...

[newsterl]

The old green & black bills were the most counterfeitable of any major currency. Any decent print shop could make passable copies. We can''''t afford NOT to change."

With color laser printers they can scan and copy ANY changes, who the hel1 looks for microscopic threads and security tape embedded in the paper?
I remember a while back fake $100 bills were hitting the streets right after the LAST change.
Only way to fix it is plastic/electronic or coins- a $100 coin, $50 coin, $20 coin and paper for the rest maybe. Coins are far harder to make as they are pressed between steel dies by huge machines under tons of pressure.
Few people need to carry around sums like $12,000 CASH, for most people a $100 coin and a few 20''s and some paper money is all they need, any more than that is safer on plastic.