You’re standing in a busy coffee shop or maybe at a yard sale, and someone hands you a crisp Benjamin. It feels okay. Or does it? Most people just glance at the face and stuff it in their wallet, but that’s a mistake that costs Americans millions of dollars every single year. Counterfeiters are getting scary good. High-quality "supernotes" used to be the stuff of spy movies, but now, decent fakes are circulating in local economies more than you’d think. Knowing how to tell if a hundred dollar bill is counterfeit isn't just for bank tellers; it's a basic survival skill for anyone handling cash.
Honestly, the "feel" is your first line of defense. Real U.S. currency isn't paper. Not really. It’s a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. That’s why a real bill doesn't get mushy when it goes through the wash, whereas a fake printed on wood-pulp paper will start to disintegrate or feel weirdly stiff. If you run your fingernail across Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder on a real $100 note, you should feel distinct ridges. This is intaglio printing. It’s a raised ink process that’s incredibly hard for cheap desktop printers to replicate. If the jacket feels smooth as a greeting card, you're likely holding a dud.
The blue ribbon isn't just for show
When the Bureau of Engraving and Printing redesigned the $100 bill back in 2013, they added a massive 3D Security Ribbon. It’s that bright blue vertical stripe down the center-right. Don't just look at it—move it.
When you tilt the bill back and forth, the bells inside the ribbon change to "100s." Here’s the trippy part: when you tilt the bill vertically, the images move horizontally. When you tilt it horizontally, they move vertically. This ribbon is woven into the paper, not printed on top of it. If you can peel that blue stripe off with a thumbnail, you've got a fake. Counterfeiters often try to simulate this with metallic paint or by sticking a 3D sticker on the surface, but it never has that fluid movement.
Look for the copper bell in the inkwell
Just to the right of the blue ribbon, there’s an inkwell. Inside that inkwell is a Bell. Both are copper-colored until you tilt the bill. When you shift the angle, that bell should change from copper to green. This "color-shifting ink" is expensive and technically difficult to produce. This effect makes the bell appear to disappear and reappear within the inkwell. Most low-end fakes will just have a static, slightly shiny copper bell that stays the same color no matter how much you wiggle it.
The light test: Watermarks and wires
Hold the bill up to a bright light. This is the classic "movie" move, but most people don't know exactly what they are looking for. You should see a faint image of Benjamin Franklin in the blank space on the right side of the portrait. It’s a watermark.
It should be visible from both sides of the note. But here is the kicker: it shouldn't look like a dark, heavy print. It should be subtle, part of the fabric of the paper itself. Sometimes, scammers will bleach a $5 bill and print a $100 over it. If you do the light test on a "bleached" bill, you might see Abraham Lincoln’s face staring back at you instead of Ben’s. That’s a huge red flag.
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Then there’s the security thread. This is a thin, embedded polyester strip that runs vertically to the left of the portrait. On the $100 bill, this thread is imprinted with the letters "USA" and the number "100" in an alternating pattern. If you hit it with a UV light (the kind they have at gas stations), that strip should glow bright pink. If it glows blue, green, or not at all? It’s fake.
Microprinting: The detail that kills fakes
If you have a magnifying glass or just really good eyesight, look at Franklin's jacket collar. You should see "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" in tiny, tiny letters. Look around the blank space where the watermark is; you'll find "USA 100" repeated. There’s also microprinting on the border of the bill and in the space to the left of the portrait.
Cheap printers can't handle this. To a standard inkjet, these letters look like a blurry, broken line. On a real bill, every letter is sharp, distinct, and readable under magnification.
Why the "Counterfeit Pen" is kinda lying to you
We’ve all seen the cashier swipe that yellow marker across a bill. If it stays yellow, it’s "good." If it turns black, it’s "bad."
Here is the truth: those pens are mostly useless against sophisticated fakes.
The pens react to starch. Standard printer paper has starch; U.S. currency paper does not. So, if a counterfeiter bleaches a real $1 or $5 bill and prints a $100 on top of it, the pen will stay yellow because the underlying material is genuine currency paper. Also, some criminals have figured out how to coat fake bills in a specific chemical that bypasses the pen's reaction. Relying solely on a marker is a great way to lose a hundred bucks. You've got to use your eyes and your touch, not just a five-dollar felt-tip pen.
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Check the serial numbers and series year
Every bill has a unique serial number. It appears twice on the front. If you are handed a stack of hundreds and two of them have the exact same serial number, you’re looking at a crime scene. It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how often people miss it in a fast transaction.
Also, look at the Series Year. If the bill says "Series 2009" but has the design features of a bill from 1990, something is wrong. The $100 note has gone through several major overhauls (the "Small Head" pre-1996, the "Big Head" 1996-2013, and the "Colorized/3D" 2013-present). If the portrait doesn't match the security features assigned to that era, give it back.
What to do if you actually find a fake
Let's say you're reading this and you realize the bill in your hand is definitely a counterfeit. This is where it gets tricky.
First off, do not—under any circumstances—try to spend it. If you knowingly try to "pass" a counterfeit bill, you are committing a felony. It doesn't matter if you were the victim; passing it makes you the criminal in the eyes of the law.
- Observe the passer: If someone just handed it to you, try to remember what they look like. Note their height, clothing, and if they have a vehicle, get the make and license plate.
- Do not put yourself in danger: Don't try to tackle them. Just try to delay the transaction if you feel safe, or simply refuse the bill.
- Handle the bill as little as possible: Put it in an envelope or a plastic bag. The Secret Service might want it for fingerprints or DNA.
- Contact the authorities: Call your local police department or the nearest U.S. Secret Service field office.
- Surrender the bill: You won't get a "real" hundred back in exchange (which sucks, I know), but you’ll be doing your part to stop a larger fraud ring. Some banks might take the bill and give you a receipt, but they generally won't reimburse the loss.
The economics of the "Supernote"
There’s a legendary type of counterfeit called the Supernote. These are believed to be produced by foreign governments using high-end offset presses and the exact same paper blend as the U.S. Treasury. They are so good that even some older detection machines can't catch them.
However, even the best Supernotes usually have tiny flaws in the "Fine Line Printing." On the back of the $100 bill, look at the lines on Independence Hall. They should be crisp and continuous. On even the best fakes, these lines often blur together or show slight "bleeding" where the ink wasn't perfectly controlled.
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Summary of checks for the 2013-Present $100 Bill
Instead of a boring checklist, imagine the bill in three layers.
Layer one is the surface. Feel the raised ink on Ben's shoulder. Look for the color-shifting bell in the inkwell.
Layer two is inside. Hold it to the light to see the pink-glowing security thread and the ghost-like watermark of Franklin's face.
Layer three is the 3D Ribbon. Watch those blue images move in the opposite direction of how you tilt the paper.
If any one of these layers feels "off," trust your gut. Most people get scammed because they want the money to be real, so they ignore the red flags. They see the "100" and their brain stops looking. Don't be that person.
Next Steps for Protection
If you run a business, stop relying on the counterfeit pen alone. Invest in a small UV light or a dedicated currency scanner that checks for magnetic ink and infrared patterns. For individuals, the best thing you can do is take a real $100 bill out of your wallet right now and study it for five minutes. Memorize the texture of the paper and the way the 3D ribbon dances. Once you know what the "real deal" feels like, a counterfeit will stick out like a sore thumb the moment it hits your palm. If you're ever in doubt at a private sale, ask to meet at a bank and have the teller verify the cash before you hand over your goods. It might feel awkward, but losing a hundred dollars (or more) feels a lot worse.