WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve issued the new $5 bill during a commemorative transaction at President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home.

The bill was issued into circulation at the Lincoln Cottage gift shop by officials from the Federal Reserve Board, U.S. Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and U.S. Secret Service. Federal Reserve Banks began distributing the new $5 bill to customer banks on March 13. Both the new bills and older design $5 bill will continue to maintain their full face value.

President Lincoln's portrait remains on the redesigned bill, and the new bill contains enhanced security features that make a genuine bill noticeable in only a few seconds.

By holding the bill to the light there are now two watermarks that can be seen. A large numeral five watermark is located in a blank space to the right of the portrait and a second watermark, a column of three smaller fives, is positioned to the left of the portrait. An embedded security thread runs vertically to the right of the portrait. The letters USA followed by the number five are visible in an alternating pattern from both sides of the bill, and the thread glows blue when held under ultraviolet light.

Like the redesigned $10, $20 and $50 bills the new $5 bill has an American symbol of freedom printed in the background. The Great Seal of the United States, featuring an eagle and shield, is printed in purple on the front of the bill.

Other new design features include an enlarged numeral five printed in purple ink on the lower right corner of the bill and small yellow "05"s printed to the left of the portrait on the front of the bill.