You’ve probably seen a hundred-dollar bill. Maybe you’ve even held a few at once and felt like a high roller. But if you think Benjamin Franklin is the ceiling of American currency, you're actually off by about $99,900.
Honestly, the history of big money in the U.S. is weirder than most people realize. We aren't just talking about rare $500 or $1,000 bills that collectors hoard. There is a "white whale" of the financial world—a bill so large it sounds like something out of a cartoon.
The Largest U.S. Dollar Bill Ever Printed
The absolute heavy hitter is the $100,000 Gold Certificate.
Yeah, you read that right. One hundred thousand dollars. On a single piece of paper.
📖 Related: Smoothie King Blending Soon Photos: What That New Sign in Your Neighborhood Actually Means
It features the face of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. President. But don't go checking your grandfather's old attic trunks for one. These weren't meant for you, me, or even the wealthiest millionaires of the 1930s. They were created during the Great Depression—specifically between December 1934 and January 1935—for a very narrow, very boring reason: accounting.
Back then, the Federal Reserve Banks needed a way to move massive amounts of money between themselves without literally hauling tons of gold bars across the street. So, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing cranked out about 42,000 of these Wilson-faced notes. They were used as "titles" to gold held by the Treasury.
Here is the kicker: it is illegal for a private citizen to own one.
Because they were never issued to the public, any $100,000 bill in a private collection is technically stolen government property. If you want to see one, you have to go to a museum like the Smithsonian or a Federal Reserve Bank. They are basically the "forbidden fruit" of the currency world.
The Biggest Bill You (Could) Actually Own
Since you can't own the Wilson note without a visit from the Secret Service, what is the largest u.s. dollar bill that actually circulated?
That honor goes to the $10,000 bill.
It features Salmon P. Chase. If that name doesn't ring a bell, he was Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury and later a Chief Justice. He’s also the guy who basically invented the modern U.S. paper money system, so it's a fitting tribute.
Unlike the $100,000 note, the $10,000 bill was "public." You could have walked into a bank in 1940, handed over a bag of cash, and walked out with one. Not that many people did. In the middle of the 20th century, $10,000 was enough to buy a nice house, so carrying it in your pocket was... risky, to say the least.
The $500, $1,000, and $5,000 Notes
The Treasury didn't just jump from $100 to $10,000. There was a whole family of "high-denomination" notes:
- $500 Bill: Featured William McKinley. These were surprisingly common for a while.
- $1,000 Bill: Featured Grover Cleveland. These are the ones you see most often in high-end auctions today.
- $5,000 Bill: Featured James Madison. These are incredibly rare; we’re talking only a few hundred known to exist.
Why Did They Stop Making Them?
It wasn't a sudden ban. It was more of a slow fade-out. The government officially stopped printing these large bills in 1945, but they stayed in circulation for decades.
👉 See also: Early CD Withdrawal Penalties: What Most People Get Wrong About Breaking a CD
Everything changed on July 14, 1969.
The Federal Reserve and the Department of the Treasury announced they would stop issuing notes larger than $100. The reason? "Lack of use." But if you dig a bit deeper, there was a more practical concern: organized crime.
It’s a lot harder to launder $1 million if you have to carry 10,000 $100-dollar bills. If you only need 100 $10,000-dollar bills, you can fit a fortune in a standard envelope. By killing off the big bills, the government made it significantly harder for cartels and tax evaders to move huge sums of untraceable cash.
Today, if a $500 or $1,000 bill makes its way into a bank, the bank is supposed to send it back to the Fed for destruction. They are being "passively retired."
Are They Still Legal Tender?
This is where it gets interesting. Yes. If you found a crisp $1,000 bill today, it is still legal tender. You could technically walk into a grocery store and buy $1,000 worth of eggs with it.
But please, don't do that.
Because these bills are so rare, they are worth way more than their face value. A $500 bill in decent condition can easily fetch $1,500 to $2,000 from a collector. A $10,000 bill? Depending on the condition and the series, those can sell for $100,000 or more at auction. Using one to pay for groceries would be like using a rare Mickey Mantle rookie card as a bookmark.
The Current State of Big Cash
As of 2026, the $100 bill remains the largest denomination currently being printed and issued. There’s been some talk in Congress over the years about bringing back the $500 bill—partly because inflation has made the $100 bill feel "smaller" than it used to—but nothing has stuck.
In fact, some economists argue we should go the other way and get rid of the $100 bill entirely to further combat crime. For now, though, Ben Franklin is the king of the wallet.
What to do if you find a large bill
If you happen to stumble upon a bill larger than $100 in an old safe or a family inheritance, follow these steps:
- Do not spend it. You will lose money the moment you hand it to a cashier.
- Handle with care. Do not fold it, laminate it, or try to "clean" it. Value is tied almost entirely to "grade" (condition).
- Get it authenticated. Look for a reputable numismatic (coin and paper money) dealer or a grading service like PMG (Paper Money Guaranty).
- Check the serial number. Certain "fancy" serial numbers or rare bank markings can double the collector value.
The $100,000 bill might be the technical answer to what the largest bill is, but for the rest of us, the $10,000 Chase note is the ultimate prize of American currency history.