Did the five dollar bill from1988 have a face when you put it up in the light?

Question

I have a five dollar bill from 1988. at first i thought it was counterfeit because it looked weired, but then i noticed its from 1988. so i thoght maybe it is just different.

Answer 1

No, that (watermarked portrait) didn't start until the redesigned banknotes of Series 1996.
If you look carefully, you will notice that it doesn't have a mylar security thread, either, That began with Series 1990 notes.
There are some merchants here in the San Diego / Tijuana area that won't accept the older notes because they lack those anti-counterfeiting features.

Answer 2

Definately not. There was no watermark on bills in the 80's.