Andy's Peachy Debut

The new $20 bill, which featuresAndrew Jackson's portrait on apeach background, made its debut onOctober 9, with $1.8 billion worth ofthe new notes being sent out to banksand businesses. The major change,which was employed to make counterfeitingthe bills tougher, is the newpeach color behind the seventh US president'sportrait, which also loses its traditionaloval frame. The bill sportsgreen tints on the edges and a new blueeagle. Other anticounterfeiting featuresinclude a watermark that changescolor and a security thread. The $20 billis the counterfeiter's note of choice, USTreasury officials note, and althoughcounterfeiting has actually decreasedsince the last design changes in the mid-1990s, advanced computer technologymeans that funny money is still a realthreat. New designs for the $50 and$100 bills are in the works.