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U.S. unveils new $20 note with background colours

Earlier this month, U.S. government officials unveiled a new $20 note design with enhanced security features and subtle background colours. The new design is part of an ongoing effort to stay ahead of the counterfeiting of U.S. currency.

"The soundness of a nation's currency is essential to the soundness of its economy. And to uphold our currency's soundness, it must be recognised and honoured as legal tender, and counterfeiting must be effectively thwarted," said Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

The new $20 note will be issued in the fall, with new designs for the $50 and $100 following in 2004 and 2005. Redesign of the $5 and $10 notes is under consideration, but the $1 and $2 notes will not be redesigned. even after the new money is issued, older-design notes will remain legal tender, the US Embassy said in a news release. "U.S. currency is a worldwide symbol of security and integrity.

This new design will help us keep it that way, by protecting against counterfeiting and making it easier for people to confirm the authenticity of their hard-earned money," U.S. Treasury Secretary John W. Snow said.

"This is the New Colour of Money; it is safer because it is harder to fake and easier to check, smarter to stay ahead of tech-savvy counterfeiters, and more secure than ever," said the Bureau of Engraving and Printings.

The New Colour of Money

The most noticeable difference in the notes is the subtle green, peach and blue colours featured in the background. Different colours will be used for different denominations, which will help everyone - particulary those who are visually impaired - to tell denominations apart.

The new bills will remain the same size and use the same, but enhanced portraits and historical images of Andrew Jackson on the face of the note and the White House on the back. The redesign also features symbols of freedom - a blue eagle in the background, and a metallic green eagle and shield to the right of the portrait in the case of the $20 note.

Security Features

The new $20 design retains three important security features that were first introduced in the late 1990s and are easy for consumers and merchants alike to check:

* The watermark - the faint image similar to the large portrait, which is part of the paper itself and is visible from both sides when held up to the light.

* The security thread - also visible from both sides when held up to the light, this vertical strip of plastic is embedded in the paper. "USA TWENTY" and a small flag are visible along the thread.

* The colour-shifting ink - the numeral "20" in the lower-right corner on the face of the note changes from copper to green when the note is tilted. The colour shift is more dramatic and easier to see on the new-design notes.

Because these features are difficult for counterfeiters to reproduce well, they often do not try. Counterfeiters are hoping that cash-handlers and the public will not check their money closely.

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