Ever really looked at the money in your wallet? Most people don't. We just spend it. But if you take a close look at a picture of the 5 dollar bill, you’re staring at one of the most complex pieces of paper ever engineered. It’s not just a portrait of a bearded guy. It’s a high-tech shield against North Korean hackers and local basement printers.
Money is weird.
Abraham Lincoln has been the face of the five since 1914. Before that, it was a mess of different designs. Since the "Big Head" redesign in 2008, the fiver has lived in a strange middle ground of being colorful but still feeling traditional. It’s got that distinct purple hue. It has a giant "5" in the corner that looks like it was drawn by a toddler but is actually there so people with low vision can buy a coffee without getting scammed.
Why the Picture of the 5 Dollar Bill Changed
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) doesn't change things for fun. They do it because people are getting better at faking it. Back in the day, you needed a giant printing press to make a fake bill. Now? You just need a decent scanner and a high-end inkjet.
Look at a modern picture of the 5 dollar bill and you’ll notice the giant purple numeral 5 on the back. That wasn't just a design choice. It’s a security feature. The 2008 redesign was specifically launched to stay ahead of digital counterfeiting. They added a light purple center that blends into gray at the edges. It’s subtle. If you aren't looking for it, you’ll miss the Great Seal of the United States printed in yellow to the right of Lincoln’s portrait.
Interestingly, the $5 bill is the only U.S. banknote that doesn't have a color-shifting ink feature. On a $100 bill, the "100" changes from copper to green. On the $5? Nothing. Why? Because it’s a low-value note. It doesn't make financial sense to put the most expensive security features on a bill that people mostly use for tips or vending machines.
The Lincoln Memorial Secret
Flip the bill over. You see the Lincoln Memorial. It’s iconic. But did you know there are actually names engraved on the building in the picture of the 5 dollar bill? You can’t see them with the naked eye unless you have 20/10 vision or a magnifying glass.
The names of the 26 states that were in the Union when the memorial was completed are etched into the frieze. This isn't just for historical accuracy. It’s an anti-counterfeiting measure known as microprinting. If a scammer tries to photocopy a five-dollar bill, the copier's resolution usually isn't high enough to capture the tiny letters. They just turn into a blurry line.
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Microprinting "FIVE DOLLARS" repeats along the left and right borders of the bill. The words "E PLURIBUS UNUM" are hidden in the top of the Great Seal. It’s basically a game of "Where’s Waldo" but for federal agents.
Security Features You Can Check Right Now
Honestly, most people get fooled by fake money because they don't know what to feel for. The paper is the first giveaway. It isn't actually paper. It’s a 75/25 blend of cotton and linen. It feels "crisp." If you rub your fingernail over Lincoln’s jacket on a real picture of the 5 dollar bill, you can feel the ridges. That’s intaglio printing. The ink is literally raised off the surface.
- The Watermarks. If you hold the bill up to the light, you should see two different watermarks. There’s a large numeral "5" located in the blank space to the right of the portrait. There’s also a column of three smaller "5s" to the left of the portrait.
- The Security Thread. There is a vertical strip embedded in the paper. It’s not printed on top; it’s inside. If you use a UV light, this strip glows blue. It also says "USA 5" followed by a small flag.
Wait. Did you know that if you find a $5 bill where the watermark doesn't match the portrait, it's a common type of counterfeit? Fraudsters often bleach the ink off a $5 bill and print a $100 design on top of it. Because the paper is real, it passes the "pen test." But the watermark will always give it away. Lincoln’s ghost will be staring back at you from a Ben Franklin bill.
The Great Redesign Controversy
There has been a lot of talk about who should be on our money. A few years ago, there was a massive push to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. While that's still in the works (the government moves at the speed of a turtle in peanut butter), the $5 bill has stayed relatively quiet.
Some people think the picture of the 5 dollar bill should be updated to reflect a more diverse history. The current design has been around since George W. Bush was in office. That’s a long time in the world of currency. But for now, Abe stays. He’s the "Great Emancipator," and he’s arguably the most beloved figure in American history. It's hard to kick him off the front of the fiver.
The Longevity Problem
A five-dollar bill lives a hard life. It gets folded, washed in jeans, dropped in the dirt, and shoved into vending machines. On average, a $5 bill only lasts about 4.7 years. Compare that to a $100 bill, which usually lasts about 15 years because people actually take care of them.
Because of this high turnover, the BEP is always looking at ways to make the picture of the 5 dollar bill more durable. Some countries, like Canada and the UK, have switched to polymer (plastic) notes. They are nearly indestructible. They don't tear. They don't get soggy. The U.S. has resisted this for a long time because Americans like the feel of "paper" money. It’s psychological.
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Still, the sheer volume of $5 bills produced is staggering. In 2023 alone, the Federal Reserve ordered over 700 million new $5 bills to replace the ones that were literally falling apart.
Why the Serial Numbers Matter
Every single bill has a unique serial number. It’s the DNA of the currency. On a picture of the 5 dollar bill, you’ll see the serial number appearing twice on the front.
- The first letter of the serial number corresponds to the series year.
- The second letter indicates the Federal Reserve Bank that issued it.
- If there’s a star at the end of the number, it’s a "replacement note." These are printed when the original bill was damaged during the printing process. Collectors love these. A "Star Note" $5 bill can sometimes be worth $20 or $50 to the right person.
Check your wallet. If you see a star instead of a letter at the end of that string of numbers, you basically just found a tiny lottery ticket.
How to Spot a Fake Without a Pen
The "counterfeit detector pens" you see at grocery stores? They’re kinda useless. They only detect if the paper is starch-based (like wood-pulp paper). If a counterfeiter uses "rag" paper or bleaches an old bill, the pen will say it's real.
To really verify a picture of the 5 dollar bill, you need to use your eyes and fingers.
- Look at the borders. On a real bill, the fine lines are sharp and unbroken. On a fake, they often look blurred or "bloody" because the ink bleeds into the paper.
- Check the portrait. Lincoln should look three-dimensional. His eyes should be sharp. On fakes, the portrait often looks flat and the eyes look "dead."
- The "Hemi-Crop" test. Look at the edges. Real bills are cut with massive industrial precision. If the borders are uneven or the bill feels slightly too small, it's a red flag.
The 2008 series introduced a lot of these "complexity features" specifically to make it a nightmare for casual criminals. It’s easy to print something that looks like money at a distance. It’s incredibly hard to print something that looks like money under a 10x lens.
The Future of the Fiver
Will we even have a picture of the 5 dollar bill in twenty years? Digital payments are taking over. Venmo, Zelle, and Apple Pay have made cash feel like a relic.
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But cash is the only way to pay for things anonymously. It’s also the only thing that works when the power goes out. The government knows this. That’s why they spend millions of dollars every year researching new inks, new fibers, and new ways to make Abraham Lincoln look more "secure."
There are rumors of a "tactile" feature coming to future bills—basically Braille-like bumps—so the blind can distinguish a $5 from a $20 without an app. This would be a massive change to the layout of the bill. It would likely move the portrait or change the size of certain elements.
What You Should Do Now
Next time you're holding a fiver, don't just spend it on a soda. Hold it up to a light. Find the "5" watermark. Feel the texture of Lincoln’s coat.
- Check for Star Notes. Look at the end of the serial number. If there's a star (*), put that bill aside. It might be worth more than five bucks.
- Inspect the Watermark. Ensure Lincoln’s face doesn't appear in the watermark of a $5 bill. It should be a large "5." If it's a face, someone bleached a $1 bill and you're holding a fake.
- Verify the Security Thread. Use a small flashlight or your phone's LED to see the "USA 5" strip.
Understanding the picture of the 5 dollar bill isn't just for collectors or bank tellers. It’s a basic part of financial literacy. In a world where scams are getting more sophisticated, the best defense is literally in the palm of your hand.
Take a second to actually look at the Great Seal on the back. Notice the shield, the olive branch, and the arrows. There are 13 arrows and 13 olives—representing the original colonies. Every single millimeter of that bill has a purpose. It’s a masterpiece of engineering that we treat like scrap paper.
If you're interested in the history of currency, the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection has some of the earliest $5 designs ever made. Some of them didn't even have Lincoln on them. They had woodchoppers, pioneers, and even Alexander Hamilton (before he got promoted to the $10).
Cash might be dying, but the technology inside it is more alive than ever. Keep an eye on the serial numbers and the watermarks. You might be carrying a piece of history or a rare collector's item without even knowing it. Just don't try to wash the "fake" off if you find one—it's better to turn it into a bank and let them handle the Secret Service.