The Redesigned Currency

Click on the $5, $10, $20, or $50 image above for more information about that bill.

In order to stay ahead of counterfeiting, the United States government continues to redesign our paper money. A new $5 bill was issued on March 13, 2008. It will be followed by a new $100 bill. Redesigned $10, $20 and $50 bills are already in circulation.

This redesigned currency is safer, smarter and more secure:
Safer because it is harder to fake and easier to check;
Smarter to stay ahead of savvy counterfeiters; and
More secure to protect the integrity of United States currency.

While the addition of subtle background colors is the most noticeable design change, you should not use color to check the authenticity of your money because color can be duplicated by potential counterfeiters.

Help protect yourself by learning the easy-to-use security features in the new $5, $10, $20 and $50 bills. Although the government works hard so that it will be unlikely that you will receive a counterfeit bill, if you end up with one, you will be at a loss. Counterfeit bills cannot be exchanged for genuine ones, and knowingly passing along a counterfeit is illegal.

Counterfeiting of United States currency has been kept at low levels through a combination of improvements in security features, aggressive law enforcement and education efforts to inform the public about how to check their money.

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