diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Constants.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Constants.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8a50dc4c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Constants.java
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) The Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This software is published under the terms of the Apache Software License
+ * version 1.1, a copy of which has been included with this distribution in
+ * the LICENSE file.
+ */
+package org.apache.tools.ant;
+
+/**
+ * Abstract interface to hold constants.
+ * 
+ * @author <a href="mailto:donaldp@apache.org">Peter Donald</a>
+ */
+interface Constants
+{
+    String  DATE     = "@@DATE@@";
+    String  VERSION  = "@@VERSION@@";
+}
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
index ab1f0682f..5fd2edd7a 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
@@ -72,10 +72,8 @@ import java.util.*;
 
 public class Main {
 
-    public final static String VERSION             = "@VERSION@";
-    public final static String DATE                = "@DATE@";
     public final static String BANNER              = 
-        "Ant version " + VERSION + " compiled on " + DATE;
+        "Ant version " + Constants.VERSION + " compiled on " + Constants.DATE;
 
     /** The default build file name */
     public static final String DEFAULT_BUILD_FILENAME = "build.xml";