New fiver debuts with a huge purple '5'

This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Check out the latest super-anti-counterfeit bill to hit the streets: It's none other than the fiver, and it debuted last week with much fanfare over its added security features and that humongous purple "5" on the back.

Many of the added security features -- more watermarks and a security strip -- were already on higher-denomination bills, and I was surprised that they would revamp the $5 bill with them, but what do I know.

I'm a fan of the increased use of microprinting, where small, difficult-to-reproduce text is repeated in numerous places. On the front, "FIVE DOLLARS" is written inside the left and right borders. "E PLURIBUS UNUM" -- "Out of many, one" in Latin -- is printed at the top of the shield in the Great Seal of the United States. "USA" is printed between the columns of the shield. Finally, on the back, "USA FIVE" is printed on the edge of the purple "5."

One cool thing I didn't know was that the little yellow "05"s are arranged in a EURion constellation. Many color photocopiers will refuse to copy a document if it detects a EURion constellation pattern. Many currencies use the pattern.

I'm not a huge fan of the big purple 5, which is intended to help the visually impaired. What do you think? Ugly? Pretty?

Other articles of interest at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity:

"Your take: Professional tax preparation or a box?"

"On combining finances"

"Let tax software find tax deductions for you"

Published March 17, 2008