You’ve probably held one and wondered if it was actually real. That bright blue 3D security ribbon is a bit jarring compared to the old-school, monochromatic greenbacks we grew up with. When the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department finally dropped the new hundred dollar bill into circulation back in 2013, it wasn’t just a cosmetic facelift. It was a massive, high-tech response to an international crisis of "Supernotes"—high-quality counterfeits that were getting a little too good at tricking the system.
It’s weird to think that the Series 2004 designs are already over a decade old, yet the "new" Benjamin still feels futuristic. Honestly, the primary goal was never about making the money look "cool" or modern for the sake of aesthetics. It was about survival. With digital printing tech getting cheaper and more accessible, the Secret Service needed something that a desktop scanner simply couldn't replicate.
What’s Actually Going On With That Blue Ribbon?
If you tilt the new hundred dollar bill, you’ll see those tiny bells and "100" digits moving. But they don't move the way you expect. If you tilt the bill back and forth, the bells move side to side. If you tilt it side to side, they move up and down. This isn't just a clever holographic trick; it’s a 3D Security Ribbon woven into the paper, not printed on it.
The complexity here is staggering. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of micro-lenses. These aren't just little shiny bits. They are tiny optical structures that manipulate light in a way that’s nearly impossible for a non-state actor to manufacture.
The Color-Shifting Bell in the Inkwell
Look at the copper-colored inkwell next to Ben Franklin. Inside it, there’s a bell. When you shift the angle, that bell changes from copper to green. This creates an effect where the bell seems to appear and disappear within the inkwell. This is the "Bell in the Inkwell" feature. It’s one of the first things bank tellers look for when they’re doing a quick manual check.
Why an inkwell? It’s a nod to the Declaration of Independence, which Franklin helped draft. But functionally, color-shifting ink is expensive and chemically complex. Most counterfeiters try to mimic this with metallic glitter or cheap pearlescent paints, but they can’t get that crisp transition from copper to green that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) achieves with their proprietary OVI (Optically Variable Ink).
Why Ben Looks So Different
Benjamin Franklin is still the face of the $100, but he’s not trapped in that tiny oval frame anymore. He’s larger. He’s off-center. There’s more detail in his jacket, and you can almost feel the texture of the engraving if you run your fingernail across his shoulder.
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This is "intaglio" printing.
The pressure used to push the paper into the recessed plates is so immense that it leaves a raised texture. Most fake new hundred dollar bills feel flat or "waxy" because they are produced using inkjet or offset printing, which puts ink on the paper rather than forcing it into the fibers. If you can’t feel that rough texture on Ben’s coat, you’re likely holding a fake.
The Invisible Tech: Microprinting and Watermarks
You need a magnifying glass to see some of the coolest parts of the design. There are tiny words scattered across the bill. Look at Franklin’s jacket collar; you’ll see "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." Check the space where the portrait watermark is—you’ll find "USA 100." There’s even "100 USA" printed on the golden quill.
Counterfeiters hate microprinting. Their printers usually blur these tiny letters into a solid line or a series of dots.
Then there’s the watermark. If you hold the bill up to a light, you should see a faint image of Benjamin Franklin in the blank space to the right of the large portrait. It should be visible from both sides. A common trick with fakes is to print a faint image on the surface of the paper, but if you look at it in the dark or without a backlight, a real watermark disappears. A fake one stays visible because it’s just ink on the surface.
Why Did They Add So Much Gold?
The large "100" on the back and the golden quill on the front aren't just for flash. The gold color is specifically chosen to be difficult for older photocopiers to reproduce accurately. These machines often interpret that specific shade of gold as black or a muddy brown.
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The back of the bill also features a massive gold "100" printed vertically. This is actually a huge help for people with visual impairments. The high contrast and large size make it much easier to distinguish the note from a $1 or a $5 in a stack of cash.
The Politics of the Paper
One thing most people don't realize is that "paper" money isn't actually paper. It’s a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. That’s why it doesn’t fall apart in the washing machine like a receipt does. The new hundred dollar bill also has red and blue security fibers embedded throughout the material.
There have been rumors for years about the U.S. switching to polymer (plastic) bills, like Canada or the UK. However, the U.S. has a very deep-rooted relationship with the Crane & Co. paper mill in Massachusetts, which has been providing the "paper" for our currency since 1879. The move to a new material would be a massive logistical and political headache, so for now, we are sticking with the cotton-linen blend.
Is the Old Version Still Valid?
Yes.
Every single $100 bill issued by the U.S. government is still legal tender, even the ones from the 1920s with the tiny heads. You don't have to trade them in. However, the Fed is slowly removing the older designs from circulation as they wear out. When a bank sends its cash to the Federal Reserve, the older bills are shredded, and new hundred dollar bills are sent back out.
If you travel internationally, though, you might find that some currency exchanges in Southeast Asia or the Middle East are incredibly picky. They often refuse "small head" hundreds or bills with any ink stamps or tears, preferring the "Big Blue" notes because they are easier to verify as authentic.
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How to Quickly Spot a Fake
Forget the pens. Those iodine "counterfeit detector pens" are basically useless. They only react to the starch in wood-based paper. Professional counterfeiters now "bleach" $1 bills and print $100 designs on top of them. Since the paper is real, the pen will show it’s "authentic."
Instead, do the "Feel, Tilt, Look" test:
- Feel: Run your nail over Franklin's shoulder. It should be rough.
- Tilt: Watch the blue 3D ribbon. The bells should turn into 100s, and they should move opposite to the way you tilt the bill.
- Look: Hold it to the light. Look for the watermark and the security thread (a thin vertical strip that glows pink under UV light).
The Future of the C-Note
There’s always talk about the "cashless society," but the demand for the new hundred dollar bill is actually higher than ever. More than half of all $100 bills circulate outside of the United States. It’s the world’s most trusted store of value during times of geopolitical instability.
While we might see more color changes or perhaps different historical figures on other denominations in the future, the $100 bill is likely to keep Franklin for a long time. The current design is intended to last for decades, with the security features being the primary focus of any minor "plate" updates the BEP might perform in the coming years.
Actionable Next Steps for Cash Handling
If you frequently handle cash for a business or just want to be sure about your own money, stop relying on pens. Start by training your muscle memory to feel for the intaglio printing on the portrait. Most high-end fakes fail the "feel" test immediately. Secondly, check the 3D security ribbon specifically for the "movement" of the bells—counterfeiters can often mimic the look of the ribbon with a sticker, but they can't make the images move. Finally, invest in a small, inexpensive UV light. A real $100 bill has a vertical security thread that glows a distinct pink/red color under UV light, a feature that is notoriously difficult for criminals to replicate with standard inks.