The United States five-dollar bill is a denomination of United States currency.
The current $5 bill features the 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln's
portrait on the front and the Lincoln Memorial on the back. All $5 bills
issued today are Federal Reserve Notes. Five dollar bills are delivered by
Federal Reserve Banks in red straps of 100 bills each.
The $5 bill is sometimes nicknamed a "fin". The term has German/Yiddish roots
and is remotely related to the English "five", but it is far less common today
than it was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing says the average life of a $5 bill in
circulation is 5.5 years before it is replaced due to wear. Approximately 6%
of all paper currency produced by the U.S. Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and
Printing in 2009 were $5 bills. Current design
The redesigned $5 bill was unveiled on September 20, 2007, and was issued on
March 13, 2008 during a ceremony at President Lincoln's Cottage. New and
enhanced security features make it easier to check the new $5 bill and more
difficult for potential counterfeiters to reproduce. The redesigned $5 bill
has: Watermarks: There are now two
watermarks. A large numeral "5" watermark is located in a blank space to
the right of the portrait, replacing the watermark portrait of President Lincoln
found on previous bills. A second watermark — a new column of three
smaller "5"s — has been added 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. 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.
= Design features= The new $5 bills remain the same size
and use the same—but enhanced—portraits and historical images. The most
noticeable difference is the light-purple coloring of the center of
the bill, which blends into gray near the edges.
Similar to the recently redesigned $10, $20 and $50 bills, the new $5 bill
features an American symbol of freedom printed in the background: The Great
Seal of the United States, featuring an eagle and shield, is printed in purple
to the right of the portrait and an arc of purple stars surround both it and the
portrait. When the Lincoln Memorial was
constructed the names of 48 states were engraved on it. The picture of the
Lincoln Memorial on the $5 bill only contains the names of 26 states. These
are the 26 states that can be seen on the front side of the Lincoln memorial
which is what is pictured on the $5 bill..
= Additional design elements= On the back of the bill, a larger,
purple numeral "5" appears in the lower right corner to help those with visual
impairments to distinguish the denomination. This large "5" also
includes the words "USA FIVE" in tiny white letters.
The oval borders around President Lincoln's portrait on the front, and the
Lincoln Memorial vignette on the back have been removed. Both engravings have
been enhanced. Small yellow "05"s 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. The zeros in the "05"s form a "EURion
constellation" to prevent photocopying of the bill.
= Other features= Microprinting: The redesigned $5 bill
features microprinting, which is the engraving of tiny text, on the front of
the bill 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 bill the words "USA
FIVE" appear along one edge of the large purple "5". Because they are so small,
these microprinted words are hard to replicate.
Large size note history (approximately 7.4218 × 3.125 in ≅ 189 ×
79 mm) 1861: The first $5 bill was issued as a
Demand Note with a small portrait of Alexander Hamilton on the right and an
allegorical statue representing freedom on the left side of the obverse.
1862: The first $5 United States Note was issued with a face design similar to
the previous Demand Note and a completely revised reverse.
1869: A new $5 United States Note was issued with a small portrait of Andrew
Jackson on the left and a vignette of a pioneer family in the middle.
1870: National Gold Bank Notes were issued specifically for payment in gold
coin by participating banks. The obverse featured vignettes of Christopher
Columbus sighting land and Columbus with an Indian Princess; the reverse featured
US gold coins. 1875: The series 1869 United States Note
was revised. The green tinting that was present on the obverse was removed and
the design on the reverse was completely changed.
1886: The first $5 silver certificate was issued with a portrait of Ulysses S.
Grant on the obverse and five Morgan silver dollars on the reverse.
1890: Five-dollar Treasury or "Coin Notes" were issued and given for
government purchases of silver bullion from the silver mining industry. The
reverse featured an ornate design that occupied almost the entire note.
1891: The reverse of the 1890 Treasury Note was redesigned because the treasury
felt that it was too "busy" which would make it too easy to counterfeit.
1891: The reverse of the 1886 Silver Certificate was revised; the 5 Morgan
silver dollars were removed. 1896: The famous "Educational Series"
Silver Certificate was issued. The entire obverse was covered with artwork
representing electricity and the reverse featured portraits of Ulysses Grant and
Phillip Sheridan. 1899: A new $5 silver certificate with a
portrait of Running Antelope on the face was issued.
1914: The first $5 Federal Reserve Note was issued with a portrait of Lincoln on
the obverse and vignettes of Columbus sighting land and the Pilgrims' landing
on the reverse. The note initially had a red treasury seal and serial numbers;
however, they were changed to blue. 1915: Federal Reserve Bank Notes were
issued by 5 Federal Reserve Banks. The obverse was similar to the 1914 Federal
Reserve Notes, except for large wording in the middle of the bill and a portrait
with no border on the left side of the bill. Each note was an obligation of the
issuing bank and could only be redeemed at the corresponding bank.
1918: The 1915 Federal Reserve Bank Note was re-issued under series 1918 by 11
Federal Reserve banks. 1923: The $5 silver certificate was
redesigned; it was nicknamed a "porthole" note due to the circular
wording of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around Lincoln's portrait. The reverse
featured the Great Seal of the United States.
Small size note history (6.14 × 2.61 in ≅ 156 × 66 mm)
1929: Under the Series of 1928, all small-sized notes carried a standardized
design. All $5 bills would feature a portrait of Lincoln, the same border
design on the obverse, and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse. The $5 bill was
issued as a United States Note with a red seal and serial numbers and as a
Federal Reserve Note with a green seal and serial numbers.
1933: As an emergency response to the Great Depression, additional money was
pumped into the American economy through Federal Reserve Bank Notes. This was the
only small-sized $5 bill that had a different border design. The serial
numbers and seal on it were brown 1934: The redeemable in gold clause was
removed from Federal Reserve Notes due to the U.S. withdrawing from the gold
standard. 1934: The first $5 silver certificates
were issued with a blue seal and serial numbers along with a blue numeral 5 on
the left side of the obverse. 1942: Special World War II currency was
issued. HAWAII was overprinted on the front and back of the $5 Federal Reserve
Note; the serial numbers, and seal, were changed to brown from green. This was
done so that the currency could be declared worthless if there was a
Japanese invasion. A $5 silver certificate was printed with a yellow
instead of blue treasury seal; these notes were for U.S. troops in North
Africa. These notes, too, could be declared worthless if seized by the
enemy. 1950: Many minor aspects on the obverse
of the $5 Federal Reserve Note were changed. Most noticeably, the treasury
seal, gray word FIVE, and the Federal Reserve Seal were made smaller; also,
the Federal Reserve seal had spikes added around it.
1953: New $5 United States Notes and Silver Certificates were issued with a
gray numeral 5 on the left side of the bill and the gray word FIVE with a blue
seal imprinted over it on the right and blue serial numbers.
1963: The $5 United States Note was issued by President Kennedy under
Executive order 11110. This meant that the government was not borrowing money
from the Federal Reserve as in the printing of Federal Reserve Notes. This
was the last time United States money was not backed by the Federal Reserve.
After President Kennedy's assassination these notes were discontinued and
Federal Reserve Notes were once again printed.
1967: Production of the $5 United States Note ends.
1969: The $5 bill began using the new treasury seal with wording in English
instead of Latin. 1994: The first new-age
anti-counterfeiting measures were introduced with microscopic printing
around Lincoln's portrait and a plastic security strip on the left side of the
bill. Even though the series date was Series 1993, they weren't printed until
November 1994. May 24, 2000: To combat evolving
counterfeiting, a new $5 bill was issued under series 1999 whose design was
similar in style to the $100, $50, $20, and $10 bills that had all undergone
previous design changes. The $5 bill, however, does not feature color-shifting
ink like all the other denominations. The first bills were printed in December
1999. June 28, 2006: The BEP announced plans
to redesign the $5 note, likely with similar features as newer $10, $20, and
$50 notes. September 20, 2007: The BEP revealed the
redesigned $5 note to the public. October 2007: The first redesigned $5
notes are printed. March 13, 2008: The redesigned $5 note
enters circulation. Reverse
The back of the five-dollar bill features sections of the bill that are
blanked out when viewed in the infrared spectrum. This is consistent with other
high-value US bills, which all feature patterns of infrared-visible stripes
unique to the given denomination. Bills of other world currencies, such as the
Euro, also feature unique patterns visible only when viewed in this
spectrum. See also
Where's George? References
External links Interactive graphic from Portfolio.com
Shows the design features and history of the $5 bill. Also, compares security
features to that of the Euro. Bureau of Engraving and Printing Web
site Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve Web site U.S. Secret Service Web site