Pull a crisp hundred-dollar bill out of your wallet—if you're lucky enough to have one sitting there—and you’ll see the smirk. It’s a knowing look. It belongs to Benjamin Franklin. Most people just call them "Benjamins" for that exact reason. But here’s the thing that trips people up: Franklin was never a president.
He’s the odd man out in a sea of commanders-in-chief like Washington, Lincoln, and Grant. Honestly, it’s a bit weird when you think about it. Why put a guy who never sat in the Oval Office on the most valuable piece of paper the average person ever touches?
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The answer isn't just about his hair or his kite-flying. It's about the fact that without him, we probably wouldn't have a dollar to print his face on in the first place.
The Man Behind the Money
So, whose face is on the hundred dollar bill and why does he deserve to be there? Benjamin Franklin wasn’t just a "Founding Father" in that vague, textbook way. He was a polymath. A scientist. A diplomat. Most importantly for our wallets, he was a printer.
Franklin actually spent a huge chunk of his early career printing money for the colonies. He was obsessed with the security of paper currency. He even came up with "nature printing," a technique using actual leaf impressions to make bills harder to counterfeit. Talk about a full-circle moment. Now, his face is protected by some of the most advanced anti-counterfeiting technology on the planet, like that 3D security ribbon that weaves through the paper.
Why Franklin Isn't a President (And Why It Doesn't Matter)
You’ve probably noticed the pattern. $1? Washington. $5? Lincoln. $20? Jackson. $50? Grant. Then you hit the hundred, and the presidential streak breaks. Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill is the only other non-president in the current lineup.
The Treasury Department doesn't have a rigid law saying you have to be a president to get on a bill. They mostly look for "persons whose places in history the American people know well." Franklin fits the bill—pun intended. He signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He was the guy who convinced France to help us during the Revolution. If George Washington was the sword of the Revolution, Franklin was the brain.
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He also represents the "American Dream" before that was even a cliché. He started as a runaway apprentice with nothing and ended up the most famous man in the world. That's the kind of vibe the U.S. Treasury likes to project. It’s aspirational. It says, "Work hard, be smart, and maybe you'll end up on a blue-ribboned piece of linen-cotton blend too."
The 2013 Redesign: Franklin’s Face-Lift
If you look at a $100 bill from the 1980s compared to one printed today, Franklin looks... different. In 1996, they made his head bigger and moved him slightly to the left. Then, in 2013, they went all out.
The "New $100" was a massive undertaking. It was delayed for years because of printing "creases." But when it finally dropped, Franklin’s portrait was updated to be more detailed, based on a 1785 painting by Joseph-Siffred Duplessis. This specific image is what experts call the "Beaufrand type" portrait. It shows an older, wiser Franklin. No wig. Just his natural hair and that slight, "I know something you don't" expression.
Spotting a Real Benjamin
Counterfeiting is a billion-dollar headache. Because the $100 is the most frequent target for international forgers, the "face" serves a functional purpose. Humans are hardwired to recognize faces. We notice if a nose looks slightly off or if the eyes look "dead" much faster than we notice a weirdly printed serial number.
- The Texture: Run your fingernail across Franklin’s shoulder. You should feel "raised printing." It feels rough and distinct.
- The Watermark: Hold it to the light. There’s a faint image of Ben hiding in the white space to the right of the main portrait. It’s not just a print; it’s embedded in the paper fibers.
- The Security Ribbon: That blue strip isn't printed on the paper. It’s woven into it. If you tilt the bill, you’ll see bells change to 100s.
The Politics of the Portrait
There’s always talk about changing the faces on our money. You’ve probably heard the debates about Harriet Tubman replacing Andrew Jackson on the $20. But interestingly, almost no one ever suggests moving Franklin off the $100.
He’s safe.
He’s widely regarded as the most "likable" Founding Father because he was a bit of a rebel. He wrote satires. He loved Paris. He was a scientist who played with lightning. In a world of stiff, formal statues, Franklin feels human. That's likely why he's survived every redesign since he first appeared on the $100 note in 1914. Before him, the $100 bill featured a rotating cast of characters including Abraham Lincoln (who moved to the $5), James Monroe, and even Admiral David Farragut.
The C-Note in the Modern World
We live in a digital age. You can pay for a coffee with your watch. You can Venmo your rent. So, does the face on the hundred dollar bill even matter anymore?
Actually, it matters more than ever. There are more $100 bills in circulation today than $1 bills. A huge portion of them live overseas. In many countries with unstable currencies, the "Benjamin" is the gold standard of value. It’s a physical piece of American soft power. When a person in a distant country looks at that bill, they aren't just seeing 100 dollars; they're seeing the face of American stability.
Franklin himself was a huge proponent of paper money as a way to stimulate the economy. He wrote an entire pamphlet called "A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper-Currency" in 1729. He argued that if you don't have enough money in circulation, trade dies. He’d probably be thrilled to know his face is the one fueling global trade three centuries later.
How to Handle Your Benjamins
Knowing whose face is on the hundred dollar bill is fun trivia, but knowing how to handle that bill is practical. High-denomination notes are scrutinized. If you’re traveling or dealing in cash, a "dirty" or "torn" Franklin can actually be rejected by banks or exchange bureaus.
- Check for the "100" in the corner: It should shift from copper to green when you tilt it. If it stays one color, it's a fake.
- Look for the microprinting: There is tiny text on Franklin’s jacket collar that says "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." You almost need a magnifying glass to see it clearly.
- Keep them flat: While Ben is durable, the 3D security ribbon can be damaged by heavy folding over years of use, making it harder for machines to verify.
Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." It’s a bit on the nose, sure. But every time you see him staring back at you from a hundred-dollar bill, it’s a reminder that the guy literally wrote the book on how American money should work. He isn't there because he was a president; he's there because he's the architect of the system that makes the bill worth anything at all.
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Next time you see a $100 bill, take a second to look at the microprinting and the watermark. Verify the security features by checking the color-shifting ink on the bottom right "100" and the 3D blue ribbon. If you're traveling abroad, always ensure your bills are the "large head" 2013 series or later, as many international vendors are wary of the older "small head" versions which lack modern security features. Finally, if you're interested in the history of currency, visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's website to see the evolution of the $100 note from the 1860s to today.