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On March 2008, the newer, safer, smarter, and more secure five dollar bills were produced and put into circulation. These notes is said to be so advanced that its much harder to forge and almost impossible to reproduce. So smart is the new five dollar bill that counterfeiters find it grueling to keep up with its technology. Two of the most important security features, that were first introduced in the 1990’s, are retained on the newly designed five dollar bill, which makes it so much easier to inspect. These features are the tried and tested watermark and the security thread.

The watermarks on the redesigned five dollar bill comprise of a large number five located to the right of the portrait and a column of three smaller fives which is positioned to its left. The large number five watermark actually replaces the previous watermark portrait of President Lincoln found on the older five dollar bills. These two new enhanced watermarks can easily be seen by holding the notes up to the light.

As for the security thread of the new five dollar bills, these have been moved to the right of the portrait, compared to the older version which is located to the left. The number five, as well as the words “USA”, alternates the visible pattern along the threads from either sides of these notes. When held under an ultraviolet light, this embedded security thread will turn a shade of blue glow. Like the watermarks, the security thread can also clearly be seen when held up to a light source.

Newer enhanced portraits and historical images also grace the new five dollar bills. Apart from making counterfeiting more difficult to achieve, these new notes also include other features that aids in telling the different denominations apart, particularly for people who are visually impaired.

New colors have also been added to these notes to make life just that much harder for currency forgers. The most noticeable difference is the addition of a shade of purple around the center of these bills, which slowly blends into a greyer shade when it nears the edges. The numbers “05” is also added to the left of the portrait on the front of the bill, as well as the right of the Lincoln Memorial vignette on its reverse side.

Other prominent changes were also made to the new five dollar bills and these include the Symbol of Freedom on the background of the bills, an altered portrait of President Abraham Lincoln, a redesigned vignette of the Lincoln Memorial, micro-printing of the words “FIVE DOLLARS,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “USA,” and “USA FIVE,” enhanced Federal Reserve indicators, and the relocation of the serial numbers.

Because United States currency is widely circulated and used around the world, public awareness efforts have been initiated by the government to properly introduce these new notes, its sole aim being to educate the public on the various changes, how to properly utilize the security features, and steps that can be taken to further authenticate the bills. Hopefully this exercise will prove effective in ensuring the smooth transition of the new five dollar bills into the financial market. Interestingly, given all these added features and complex designs, the new five dollar bills will continue to be easily recognized globally as essentially American.

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Did you know that less that 1/100 of 1% of dollar bills in circulation today are counterfeit, which is a very small percentage given its incentives and the technological advances readily accessible today. This is probably because of the recently enhanced security features of the dollar bill and the stiffer criminal penalties associated to counterfeiting, which discourages counterfeiters from venturing into US currencies.

Nevertheless, given the amount of dollar bills that is in current circulation internationally, the chances of you stumbling across a note or two are pretty good, most times without us even realizing it. Mind you, finding yourself in possession of one, knowingly, is a federal offence. Having that said, prepared below are just some of the basic easy to follow steps of detecting counterfeit dollar bills:

1. People who fairly handle money quit a bit will be able to identify a fake dollar bill right away simply by touching it. Even if you don’t handle money that often, you would have felt enough genuine money to be able to tell a real one from a fake, just by paying close attention. The surface of a genuine dollar bill is slightly raised, which makes it somewhat three dimensional, an effect produced during the intaglio process. Most fake dollar bills have flat surfaces.

2. Check the printing quality of the dollar bill. Genuine dollar bills are printed using a procedure that negates digital printing and it’s so easy to spot, although this replication process may be achievable by the more experiences counterfeiters. Look out for blurry spots, smears, fine details which may appear dull, designs, portraits, and features, which are distinctive especially to that particular denomination in question. You can easily do this by comparing two notes of the same value together.

3. All dollar bills have little red and blue fibers which are embedded within the note. Counterfeit notes will have the detail printed on instead, that’s how you tell.

4. One of the most famous ways of detecting counterfeit money is by holding it up to the light and looking out for the watermark. The watermark on genuine dollar bills must match the print. Another feature to look out for, especially for the $5, $10, $20, $50 or $100 bills, is the security thread, which is a plastic strip embedded and runs, vertically, from top to the bottom of the dollar bill.

5. Take note of the serial number and make sure they match. The serial numbers should be spread out evenly in space and are perfectly aligned. Another easy way to spot counterfeit is by making sure that serial numbers don’t match. Serial numbers are distinct on each dollar bill.

6. The newer denominations of $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills have the color-shifting ink feature. The ink will appear to change in color when tilted to a certain angle, a feature which is difficult to replicate by counterfeiters.

7. Last but not least, hold your dollar bill under a black light to see if the security strip glows. The $5 bill will have a blue glow, the $10 orange, the $20 green, the $50 yellow, and the $100 bill red.
Hope the information above helps you identify counterfeit dollar bills better. If you have any other ideas or tips, please feel free to post your comments below.

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The United States Treasury Department has outlined very specific guidelines for dealing with suspected counterfeit money. On their government website, there is a list of things that they suggest you do for your own security.

First of all, if you suspect a counterfeit, report it to your local police or the U.S. Secret Service. If you are away from home, you should report the suspected counterfeit note to the closest police department located in the same town, or a neighboring one. This should also be done if you are in another country.

Here are some of the guidelines on the website:

• You should not give the bill back to the person who gave it to you.
• Try to delay the person, if possible.
• Avoid putting your fingerprints on the bill. Put it in an envelope or a plastic bag.
• Give the bill to an identified police officer, or mail it to the U.S. Secret Service Agent that is closest to you. Do not give it to anyone else.

There are several ways to spot a counterfeit bill on the website as well. There should be a watermark that is visible when looking at either side of the bill when it is held up to the light. There is also a security thread that is embedded in each bill. This thread is also visible when the bill is held up to the light.

If you have an ultraviolet light available, each bill will glow a certain color under that light (unless it is a $1 bill). If there is no glow, then it could be a counterfeit.

There are further details on dealing with suspected counterfeit bills on the United States Department of Treasury website, www.ustreas.gov. Visit their website for more information on counterfeit bills.

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