Preventing the Counterfeiting of the U.S. Dollar

In recent years, advanced copying technologies have helped raise the incidence of counterfeiting of the U.S. dollar. As the quality and sophistication of reproduction technology improves, the sophistication and complexity of our currency notes need to improve as well. As a result, the United States government has been adding advanced security features to our paper money, in addition to anticipating the enhancement of the design of the currency every 7-10 years. These changes are the first major design changes to take place for the U.S. currency since 1928. 

In the early 1990s, the three most important and easy to check security features were added to the U.S. currency: the watermark, the security thread, and the color shifting ink. These security features are still in use today and continue to be extremely effective in detecting counterfeit money. The most recent change in the design of the currency is the addition of color. The new color of the money is thought to be safer, smarter, and more secure. The most recent bill to be entered into circulation with this new color was the $10 bill on March 2, 2006.