Pull a five-dollar bill out of your wallet right now. Take a second to really look at it. You’ll see that familiar, slightly somber face staring back at you with those deep-set eyes and the iconic beard. It’s Abraham Lincoln. Most of us know that by the time we hit second grade, but there’s a whole lot more to the story than just a name and a number.
Lincoln.
He wasn't always the face of the "fiver." In fact, the history of who gets to be on our currency is a messy, political, and surprisingly artistic process that has evolved since the 1860s. When you hold that purple-tinted piece of paper, you’re holding a tiny piece of a massive rebranding effort the U.S. Treasury underwent over a century ago.
The Man in the Oval: Why Abraham Lincoln?
Abraham Lincoln has been the face of the five-dollar bill since 1914. Think about that. Over a hundred years of the same guy. It makes sense, though. Lincoln is often cited by historians, like those at the Smithsonian Institution, as the "Great Emancipator" who held the country together during the Civil War. His presence on the bill is meant to symbolize unity and the preservation of the Union.
But it’s not just about history. It’s about the look. The portrait used on the current bill is actually based on a photograph taken by Mathew Brady in 1864. It was taken just a year before Lincoln was assassinated. If you look closely at the engraving, you can see the weight of the war in his expression. It’s raw. It’s honest. Honestly, it’s one of the most recognizable portraits in human history.
Interestingly, Lincoln didn't start on the five. Back in 1861, when the U.S. first started issuing "Demand Notes" (the first real paper money), the five-dollar bill actually featured Alexander Hamilton. Yeah, the guy currently on the ten. Money used to be a lot more chaotic than it is now.
The Evolution of the Fiver
Before the Treasury Department standardized everything in 1928, the five-dollar bill was a canvas for all sorts of people and imagery. We’re talking about a time when different banks were basically printing their own versions of "money" with varying degrees of federal oversight.
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For a while, the five-dollar bill featured Christopher Columbus. Then there was a version with Andrew Jackson. There was even a "Silver Certificate" in the late 1800s that featured an image of an American Indian Chief—Running Antelope. That was the only time a Native American was the primary figure on U.S. paper currency. It caused a bit of a stir because the engravers mistakenly gave him a Pawnee headdress even though he was Lakota. Small details matter, especially when they’re printed millions of times.
Then came the 1928 overhaul. The government decided to shrink the physical size of the bills and standardize the faces. Lincoln was locked into the five, and he hasn't moved since.
Beyond the Face: What’s on the Back?
Flip that bill over. You’re looking at the Lincoln Memorial.
It feels permanent, doesn’t it? But the Memorial didn't appear on the back of the five-dollar bill until 1953. Before that, the back featured a scene of a pioneer family or various ornate "V" designs. Adding the Memorial was a way to double down on the Lincoln theme.
If you’ve got a magnifying glass, you should try something. Look at the front of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the bill. You can actually see the names of the 26 states that were etched into the real building’s cornice. Of course, they’re tiny. You might need to squint. You can also see the statue of Lincoln sitting inside the monument if you look really, really closely at the center of the columns.
It’s a meta-moment: a picture of a building that contains a statue of the man whose face is on the other side of the paper.
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Security Features You Probably Missed
Modern bills aren't just paper. They’re a high-tech blend of linen and cotton, embedded with security features that would make a spy jealous. The $5 bill underwent a major redesign in 2008. The most obvious change was the color. It’s got a distinct purple hue in the center that fades into gray near the edges.
Why purple? It’s harder to counterfeit.
There are also those tiny yellow "05" numerals printed in the background. They’re scattered all over the back of the bill. This is part of the EURion constellation, a pattern that tells digital scanners and photocopiers, "Hey, don't copy this." If you try to scan a modern five-dollar bill, most consumer software will actually block the action because of those little yellow numbers.
Then there’s the watermark. If you hold your bill up to a light, you’ll see a large numeral "5" in the white space to the right of the portrait. On the older versions (pre-2008), the watermark was another portrait of Lincoln. The Treasury switched to a giant "5" because it’s much easier for people to see quickly in low light.
The Controversy of the Currency
There is always talk about changing the faces on our money. You’ve probably heard the rumors about Harriet Tubman potentially replacing Andrew Jackson on the twenty. While the five-dollar bill hasn't seen that same level of heated debate, there have been occasional suggestions to rotate the portraits.
Some people argue that having the same group of men on our money for a century is a bit stagnant. Others feel that Lincoln is "untouchable" because of his role in American history. It’s a delicate balance between tradition and representation.
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As of 2026, there are no official plans to move Lincoln off the five. He’s safe for now. But currency is never truly static. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is constantly tweaking the designs to stay one step ahead of counterfeiters. Every decade or so, the "look" of the money shifts slightly, even if the face stays the same.
Fun Facts to Drop at Dinner
- The "Big Head" Design: The 2008 redesign made Lincoln’s head significantly larger and removed the oval border that used to surround him. This was done to allow for more intricate detail in the engraving, making it tougher to forge.
- The Great Seal: To the right of Lincoln’s portrait, you’ll see the Great Seal of the United States. It features an eagle holding an olive branch and arrows.
- The Paper Isn't Paper: U.S. currency is actually 75% cotton and 25% linen. That’s why it doesn't fall apart when you accidentally leave a fiver in your jeans and run them through the wash.
- Average Lifespan: A five-dollar bill typically lasts about 4.7 years in circulation before it gets too torn or dirty and the Federal Reserve shreds it.
Why the Five-Dollar Bill Matters
In the grand scheme of things, the five-dollar bill is a workhorse. It’s not as "prestigious" as the hundred, but it’s used far more often in daily transactions. It’s the "tip" bill. It’s the "coffee and a bagel" bill.
Because it’s so common, the face of Lincoln becomes a background character in our lives. We stop seeing the man and start seeing the value. But understanding why he’s there—and the incredible amount of technology hidden in the fibers of that paper—makes you appreciate that little piece of history in your pocket just a bit more.
Lincoln was chosen because he represented a broken nation coming back together. In an era where things often feel polarized, maybe having that reminder in our pockets isn't a bad thing.
Actionable Next Steps for Currency Enthusiasts
If you’re interested in the history of U.S. money or want to verify the bills in your pocket, here is what you can do:
- Check for Authenticity: Next time you get a five, hold it up to the light. Look for the vertical security thread to the left of the portrait. It should say "USA FIVE" and have a small flag. It even glows blue under UV light.
- Visit the Source: If you’re ever in Washington D.C. or Fort Worth, Texas, you can take a tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. You can literally watch millions of dollars being printed from an overhead walkway. It’s surreal.
- Start a Small Collection: Look for "Star Notes." These are bills that have a small star at the end of the serial number. They are replacement notes issued when the original bill was misprinted. They aren't worth a fortune, but they’re a cool find and often hold a slight premium for collectors.
- Explore the Digital Vault: The U.S. Currency Education Program (uscurrency.gov) has high-resolution scans of every bill design dating back decades. It’s a great way to see the "Running Antelope" or "Columbus" bills mentioned earlier.
Knowing who's on the five dollar bill is just the entry point. The real rabbit hole is the 200-year history of how we've tried to define "value" through the faces of the people we admire. Lincoln has had a long run, and based on his legacy, he's earned his spot.
Next Steps: Take a five-dollar bill and examine the watermark; if you don't see the large "5" to the right of the portrait, you might be holding an older, pre-2008 series note which is a fun piece of recent history to keep. Check the serial number for a star at the end—if you find one, you've officially started a currency collection.