The changes to the $10 bill followed changes to the $20 bill in 2003 and the $50 bill in 2004. For the 20s, the additional colors are blue, peach and a different shade of green, while the $50 bill features the added colors of blue and red.

     The changes to these bills are an ongoing effort to make the bills more difficult for counterfeiters to copy them and easier for others to verify they are real.

     Other security features for the 10s include a plastic security thread woven into the note that repeats "USA Ten" in tiny print. There is also a watermark that can be seen when the bill is held up to the light. Color-shifting ink makes the numeral "10" in the lower right-hand corner on the face of the bill change color from copper to green when the bill is tilted in direct light.

     CNN Money quoted Dawn Haley of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. "The new $10 note continues our effort to make our currency safer, smarter, and more secure. Not only is the new bill state-of-the-art, it's also a beautifully designed currency note."

     The new $10 bills will be in circulation in early 2006. The next bill to be redesigned will be the $100, expected in 2007. There are no plans to change the $1, $2 or $5 bill.

     American currency will be changed every seven to 10 years to keep ahead of counterfeiters who use modern computer equipment which makes digital counterfeiting easier.

Did You Know?

The picture on the face of the $10 bill is of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. The other side of the bill shows the U. S. Treasury Building.