You’ve probably held one and immediately felt a little richer, even if it was just for the thirty seconds it took to hand it over to a cashier. The one hundred dollar bill is a weird piece of paper. It’s the most hoarded, most forged, and arguably the most misunderstood denomination in the United States Treasury’s arsenal. Honestly, most of us don't even see them that often unless we’ve just hit the ATM before a wedding or a trip to a casino.
Cash is supposedly dying. You hear it every day. Yet, there are more C-notes in circulation right now than there are one-dollar bills. That’s a bizarre statistic when you think about it. Why would the world need billions of Benjamins if everyone is using Apple Pay? The answer involves a mix of international shadow economies, grandma’s mattress, and some of the most sophisticated printing technology on the planet.
Why the one hundred dollar bill is actually a tech product
When you look at a $100 bill, you aren't just looking at paper and ink. It’s a high-stakes engineering project. The 2013 redesign was actually delayed for years because the government kept running into "creasing" issues during the printing process at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. They were trying to do something that had never been done before on such a massive scale.
Take the 3D Security Ribbon. That blue stripe down the middle? It’s not printed on the paper. It’s woven into it. If you tilt the note, you’ll see bells change to 100s. It’s a mesmerizing trick of micro-lenses—thousands of them—focused on even smaller images underneath.
Then there’s the "Bell in the Inkwell." It’s that copper-colored inkwell on the front. Inside is a green bell that shifts colors. It’s basically a optical illusion designed to make life a nightmare for anyone with a high-end scanner. These features exist because the one hundred dollar bill is the primary target for international counterfeiters, specifically the infamous "Supernotes" allegedly produced by state actors like North Korea.
The paper itself is a blend. It's 75% cotton and 25% linen. That’s why a bill survives the washing machine while your grocery receipt turns into a gray blob. It has a "hand" or a "feel" that humans are surprisingly good at recognizing. Authentic currency has raised printing—intaglio—which gives the bill a distinct texture you can feel with your fingernail. If it’s smooth as a photo, it’s fake. Simple as that.
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The Benjamin Franklin Connection
People call them "Benjamins" for a reason. Benjamin Franklin has been the face of the $100 bill since 1914. Why him? He wasn’t a president. But he was a Founding Father, a diplomat, and a guy who obsessed over printing. He actually used to print money for the colonies and famously used leaf patterns to deter counterfeiters because no two leaves were exactly alike.
It’s kinda poetic that he’s now the face of the bill that uses the most advanced anti-counterfeiting tech in history.
The Secret Life of Cash Overseas
Here is the kicker: the Federal Reserve estimates that over half of all one hundred dollar bill notes circulate outside of the United States. In countries with unstable local currencies or high inflation, the $100 bill is the gold standard. It’s a physical "store of value."
In places like Argentina or Russia, people don't keep their life savings in a local bank account that might lose 20% of its value overnight. They keep stacks of Benjamins. This creates a weird dynamic where the U.S. essentially exports paper and gets real goods and services in return. It’s a massive interest-free loan to the American government. As long as those bills stay under floorboards in Buenos Aires, the U.S. doesn't have to worry about them causing domestic inflation.
But there is a dark side.
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Because the $100 bill is the highest denomination currently printed, it’s the currency of choice for "bad actors." A briefcase full of $100s is much easier to transport than a suitcase full of $20s. This has led some economists, like Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard, to argue that we should actually abolish the $100 bill. He argues that getting rid of large-denomination notes would make it significantly harder for tax evaders and drug cartels to move money around.
Imagine trying to move a million dollars in $10 bills. You’d need a literal truck. In $100 bills? It fits in a standard briefcase.
Spotting a Fake Without a Fancy Pen
You’ve seen clerks use those yellow markers. Newsflash: those pens are mostly useless against "bleached" bills. A bleached bill is when a counterfeiter takes a real $1 or $5 bill, dissolves the ink with chemicals, and prints a $100 image over it. Since the paper is real currency paper, the pen "thinks" the bill is legitimate.
To really check a one hundred dollar bill, you need to look for the "hidden" signs:
- The Watermark: Hold it up to a light. You should see a faint image of Ben Franklin in the blank space on the right. It should be visible from both sides.
- The Security Thread: There is a vertical thread embedded in the paper to the left of the portrait. If you hit it with UV light, it glows pink.
- Microprinting: Look at Franklin's jacket collar or the borders. There are tiny words that look like lines to the naked eye but say "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" under a magnifying glass.
- Color-Shifting Ink: The "100" in the bottom right corner should change from copper to green when you tilt it. If it doesn't move, give it back.
The Federal Reserve actually puts out a lot of great material on this, but most people never look at it. They just trust the "feel." And honestly? Your fingers are usually right. The way the ink sits on the paper creates a friction that's really hard to replicate with an inkjet printer.
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The Future of the C-Note
Is the $100 bill going away? Probably not anytime soon. Even with the rise of Bitcoin and digital banking, physical cash offers something digital can't: total privacy and zero reliance on a power grid. If the internet goes down, a $100 bill still buys gas and food.
However, we are seeing a shift. Many retailers in major cities are going "cashless," which is actually a point of legal contention in some states because it discriminates against the "unbanked." But for the most part, the $100 bill is moving away from being a daily medium of exchange and becoming more of a "security blanket" or a global reserve asset.
The most recent design, the "Series 2009A" and "Series 2013," will likely be around for a while. The Treasury doesn't redesign these things for fun; it costs a fortune. They only do it when the "arms race" with counterfeiters demands it.
Actionable Insights for Handling $100 Bills
If you deal with cash often—maybe you're a small business owner or you just sold a couch on Facebook Marketplace—you need to be smart. Don't rely on the pen. It's a false sense of security.
- Feel the paper. If it feels like standard printer paper or even high-quality resume paper, it's fake. Real money has a "snap" and a textile-like texture.
- Check the blue ribbon. Move the bill. The bells and 100s should move oppositely to how you tilt the bill. If you tilt it left/right, they move up/down. That’s nearly impossible to fake without specialized equipment.
- Check the watermark. If there is no Benjamin Franklin looking back at you when you hold it to the light, you’re holding a piece of trash.
- Watch for "Small Head" bills. Older $100 bills (pre-1996) have a smaller portrait of Franklin. While they are still legal tender, they lack almost all modern security features. Many businesses won't accept them because they are so much easier to forge. If you get one, take it to a bank to have it exchanged for a modern "Big Head" note.
- Use your phone. There are actually apps developed by the government and third parties that can use your camera to verify security features, though the "light test" is usually faster.
The one hundred dollar bill remains the king of the wallet. It’s a symbol of American economic power that sits in pockets from Tokyo to Timbuktu. Whether you love it for its design or its purchasing power, knowing how it works—and how to spot a fake—is a basic financial literacy skill everyone should have.
Keep an eye on the edges. If the printing looks blurred or "bleeding," it’s a bad sign. Real currency is crisp. It’s art. Treat it that way, and you won’t get burned by a counterfeit.