You’ve probably seen a hundred-dollar bill. If you're lucky, maybe you've had a few of them in your wallet at once. But have you ever wondered if there’s something bigger? Honestly, most people assume Ben Franklin is the end of the line. He isn't. Not even close.
The question of what is the largest denomination of american currency actually has two answers. It depends on whether you are talking about what you can spend at a grocery store today or what the U.S. government has ever printed in its entire history.
Buckle up. We’re going way beyond the $100 bill.
The Secret $100,000 Bill (Yes, Really)
Let's just get the "wow" factor out of the way first. The highest denomination ever printed by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing is the $100,000 Gold Certificate.
It features Woodrow Wilson on the front. No, you can't own one. It’s actually illegal for private citizens to have them. If you somehow found one in your attic, the Secret Service would like a very long word with you.
These were printed for a tiny window of time between December 1934 and January 1935. This was the middle of the Great Depression. The government wasn't handing these out to help people buy bread. Instead, they were used strictly for transactions between Federal Reserve Banks. Back then, we didn't have wire transfers or digital ledgers. If one Fed bank needed to move a massive amount of "gold" value to another, they used these certificates.
Think of it as a high-stakes internal IOU. They never touched the hands of the public.
The Bills You Actually Could Have Owned
While the $100,000 note was a ghost, there were other "big" bills that actually circulated. Your grandparents might have actually seen these in the wild.
Starting in 1914, the Federal Reserve issued several high-denomination notes that were perfectly legal for regular people to use. We’re talking about:
- The $500 Bill: Featured William McKinley. These were surprisingly common for large real estate deals.
- The $1,000 Bill: Featured Grover Cleveland. This was the "workhorse" of high-value cash transactions before credit cards were a thing.
- The $5,000 Bill: Featured James Madison. These are incredibly rare today.
- The $10,000 Bill: Featured Salmon P. Chase. He wasn't a president, but he was the Secretary of the Treasury under Lincoln.
These weren't just "monopoly money." They were real. If you had a $10,000 bill in 1920, you were essentially a millionaire in today's money.
Why Did They Stop Printing Them?
The government stopped printing these giants in 1945. They didn't officially "retire" them until July 14, 1969.
Why? Basically, nobody was using them. Well, that’s the official story. The Fed and the Department of the Treasury said they were being discontinued due to a "lack of use." But there’s a more practical reason: crime.
By the late 60s, the government realized that big bills made life way too easy for money launderers and drug traffickers. It's much easier to hide a million dollars in $10,000 bills (which would only be 100 notes) than it is in $20s or $100s.
Electronic banking was also starting to peek over the horizon. The need to carry a down payment for a house in your briefcase was disappearing.
Are They Still Legal Tender?
Here is the part that trips people up. Yes. Every high-denomination bill mentioned above—except for the $100,000 certificate—is still legal tender. Technically, you could walk into a McDonald's and try to buy a Big Mac with a $500 bill.
Please don't do that.
First, the cashier will probably think it's fake. Second, you would be losing a fortune. Because these bills are so rare, their "collector value" is way higher than their "face value." A $500 bill in decent condition can easily sell for $1,000 to $1,500. A $10,000 bill? You're looking at six figures at an auction.
The Current Heavyweight: The $100 Bill
So, back to the present day. If you ask what is the largest denomination of american currency currently being printed, the answer is the $100 bill.
It has been the king of the mountain since 1969. While there are occasionally rumors or "petitions" to bring back the $500 bill to account for inflation, the government isn't interested. In fact, many economists argue we should get rid of the $100 bill too, for the same reasons they killed the $1,000 bill: to make it harder for the "bad guys" to move cash around.
How to Handle Old "Big" Money
If you ever stumble across an old bill larger than $100, here is exactly what you should—and shouldn't—do:
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- Do NOT spend it. You are literally throwing away money. The numismatic (collector) value is almost always double or triple the face value.
- Do NOT take it to a standard bank. Most bank tellers are trained to follow "fit currency" rules. If you deposit it, they might just send it back to the Federal Reserve to be destroyed and replaced with five $100 bills.
- Get it graded. Look for companies like PMG (Paper Money Guaranty). A professional grade can mean the difference between a bill being worth $2,000 and $20,000.
- Check the serial number. "Low" serial numbers (like 00000001) or "star notes" (notes with a star at the end of the serial) add massive value to these already rare items.
The days of carrying around a $5,000 bill are over for the average person. But knowing they exist—and that Ben Franklin isn't actually the top dog—is a fun bit of financial trivia that most people totally miss.
Actionable Next Step: Check your local coin shop or a reputable auction site like Heritage Auctions to see what these high-denomination bills are currently selling for. It provides a fascinating look at how "real" money has shifted into "collector" assets over the last century.