The venue for the presentation was not chosen by chance - Ellis Island is adjacent to the Statue of Liberty. This symbol of American democracy is depicted on the banknote with a scarlet torch, which distinguishes the new bill from the old one. Together with the words from the US Constitution "We the People", also "colored crimson", they constitute the most conspicuous additional security features of the new "ten". In addition to red and the traditional green, the banknote design also features light shades of orange and yellow.
As on the old 10-dollar bill, the new one features Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Its design also retains the three main security features introduced in the 1990s: watermarks repeating the portrait, a security thread that can be seen when held up to the light from both sides of the banknote, and color-shifting ink in the lower right corner on the face of the bill that changes color depending on the angle of the bill.
"Thanks to the changes made to the currency design, aggressive law enforcement efforts led by the U.S. Secret Service, and public awareness, we manage to stay several steps ahead of counterfeiters," Snow said at the ceremony.
"We know that the 10-dollar bill is very popular outside the United States, especially in Latin American countries. We will work closely with financial institutions around the world to ensure the smooth introduction of the new bill," said Thomas Ferguson, director of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
The new bill is the third dollar banknote to lose its exclusively green color. The $20 and $50 bills were put into circulation in 2003 and 2004. According to Snow, changes will also occur in the design of the $100 banknote, but the timing of its release has not yet been determined. According to the secretary, the U.S. Treasury does not intend to change the appearance of $1, $2, and $5 bills.