Ever looked closely at the five dollar bill in your wallet? Most people don't. We just hand it over for a coffee or a sandwich and move on. But honestly, the "fin" or "fiver" is probably the most technically interesting piece of paper you carry. It isn’t even paper, really. It’s a 75% cotton and 25% linen blend that feels more like fabric because it is.
The $5 bill sits in a weird spot. It’s not as common as the single, but it does way more heavy lifting in the economy than the $50 or the $100. It’s the workhorse. Yet, because it's a low-denomination note, people often assume it’s simple. It isn't. In 2008, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) gave it a massive facelift that turned it into a purple and gray high-tech marvel.
What’s Actually Happening with Lincoln’s Portrait
Abraham Lincoln has been the face of the five dollar bill since 1914. Before that, you might have seen Alexander Hamilton or even Andrew Jackson on it, but Honest Abe is the one who stuck. The current portrait is based on a photograph taken by Mathew Brady in 1864. If you look at the 2008 redesign, the portrait is noticeably different from the "small head" versions your parents used.
The border is gone. Lincoln now floats against a background of purple and light gray. It’s actually kind of striking when you compare it to the older green-and-black style. The BEP did this for a very specific reason: to make it harder to "bleach."
Counterfeiters have this nasty habit of taking a $5 bill, bleaching the ink off, and printing a $100 image on top of it. Since the paper is genuine, the little pens they use at registers won't catch it. By moving the portrait and adding that distinct purple hue, the government made it a lot harder for a criminal to pass off a five as a Benjamin.
The Great Seal and the Stars
To the right of the portrait, there’s a burst of stars. They aren’t just there for decoration. There are 13 of them, representing the original colonies. They are printed in purple ink, and if you look really closely—maybe use a magnifying glass—you’ll see the words "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and "USA FIVE" hidden in the design. This is what experts call microprinting. It’s so small that most home printers can’t replicate it; it just turns into a blurry line.
The Giant Purple Number 5
Flip the bill over. You can’t miss it. On the back, in the lower right corner, there is a massive, bright purple numeral "5." It’s huge. It looks almost out of place compared to the dignified Lincoln Memorial in the center.
This wasn’t a design choice made by an artist who liked the color purple. It’s a functional feature. It was added primarily to help people with visual impairments distinguish the five dollar bill from other denominations. Since all U.S. currency is the same size—unlike Euros or Pounds which vary in physical dimensions—having high-contrast, oversized numbers is a lifesaver for accessibility.
Also, it’s printed in "Easy-to-Read" font. This might seem like a small detail, but it’s part of a broader shift in how the U.S. thinks about its currency. It’s not just about tradition anymore; it’s about utility.
The Lincoln Memorial Details
The back of the bill features the Lincoln Memorial. Most people know that. But did you know that all 50 states are listed on the actual building in Washington D.C.? On the five dollar bill, you can’t see all of them, but the names of the states are engraved at the top of the monument. You need a really good lens to read them, but they’re there.
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There’s also a row of small yellow "05"s printed on the back. This is the EURion constellation. It’s a pattern of symbols that tells photocopiers and digital imaging software: "Hey, don't copy this." If you try to scan a modern five dollar bill on a high-end scanner, the software will often block the action or refuse to print it. Technology is wild.
Security Features You Can Check in Two Seconds
If you’re ever worried that a fiver feels "off," don’t just look at the colors. Use your hands and the light.
- The Watermark: Hold the bill up to a bright light. You should see a large "5" in the vertical white space to the right of the portrait. On older bills, you’d see Lincoln’s face as the watermark, but the current series uses a giant "5." There is also a second watermark consisting of three small "5"s to the left of the portrait.
- The Security Thread: Look for a thin vertical line to the right of the portrait. It’s embedded in the paper. If you hold it up to the light, you’ll see "USA FIVE" and a small "5" repeated along the strip. If you put it under ultraviolet (UV) light, that strip glows blue.
- The Feel: Run your fingernail along Lincoln’s jacket. It should feel scratchy. This is because the U.S. uses "intaglio" printing, where the ink is pressed onto the paper with tons of pressure, creating a raised texture. Most fake bills feel flat and smooth.
The Future of the Five: The Harriet Tubman Question
There has been a lot of talk about changing the faces on our money. While most of the focus was on the $20 bill and replacing Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman, the five dollar bill was also part of the conversation.
The Treasury Department previously suggested that the back of the five dollar bill could be redesigned to honor events that happened at the Lincoln Memorial. This included the 1939 performance of singer Marian Anderson and Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech. While Lincoln would stay on the front, the back would become a "history of the memorial" of sorts. As of now, the current design remains in circulation, but the BEP is constantly working on the next generation of security features.
Why the $5 Bill Still Matters in a Digital World
You’d think with Apple Pay and Venmo, cash would be dead. It’s not. There are about 3.5 billion five dollar bills currently in circulation.
It’s the "change" bill. It bridges the gap. Small businesses love them because they need them to make change for twenties, which is the most common bill dispensed by ATMs. Honestly, if we got rid of the five, the entire retail system would probably have a heart attack within 48 hours.
How to Handle Your Fivers Like a Pro
If you have a five dollar bill that is torn or damaged, don't throw it away. As long as more than 50% of the bill is identifiable and you have enough of the security features left, it's still worth five bucks. You can take it to almost any bank and they will swap it for a crisp new one.
If the bill is severely mutilated—like it went through a lawnmower or a fire—you have to send it to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s Mutilated Currency Division. They have experts who spend all day literally taping fragments of money back together to verify its value.
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To get the most out of your cash knowledge:
- Check for "Star Notes": Look at the serial number. If there is a little star at the end instead of a letter, it means the bill was a replacement for a sheet that was misprinted. Collectors sometimes pay a premium for these, especially in perfect condition.
- Verify the Series Year: The year on the bill isn't when it was printed; it's when the design was authorized or when a new Treasury Secretary took office. A "Series 2021" bill might have been printed in 2023.
- Use the UV Trick: If you work in retail, buy a cheap UV flashlight. The blue glow of the $5 security thread is unmistakable and the fastest way to spot a fake without looking like you're interrogating the customer.
Currency is just a collective agreement that a piece of cotton is worth a sandwich. The five dollar bill is a particularly beautiful, purple-tinted piece of that agreement. Next time you buy a coffee, take five seconds to look at the microprinting. It's pretty impressive for something we usually just crumble up and shove into our pockets.
Actionable Insight: Keep an eye out for "fancy" serial numbers on your $5 bills, such as ladders (12345678) or radars (numbers that read the same forward and backward). These can be worth significantly more than $5 to currency collectors on sites like eBay or Heritage Auctions.