You’ve probably held one recently and noticed it feels almost like play money compared to the old ones. It’s colorful. It’s got a giant gold inkwell. Honestly, the picture of us 100 dollar bill—specifically the Series 2004 redesigned note that finally hit the streets in 2013—is a masterpiece of engineering that most people just use to pay rent without a second thought.
We don't call it "greenbacks" much anymore. Not really. Look at it. There’s teal, orange, and even a bit of pink in there if the light hits the paper right.
Ben Franklin is still the star of the show, obviously. He’s been on the C-note since 1914, but he’s grown over the years. On the current version, he isn't trapped in that tiny oval frame anymore. His shoulders bleed right off the edge of the print. It’s a bold look.
But why the overhaul?
The Secret Service and the Treasury Department aren't just trying to be trendy. They are in a constant, high-stakes arms race against counterfeiters, particularly the creators of the "Supernote"—those high-quality fakes that allegedly originated in North Korea and were so good they fooled even experienced bank tellers. The current design is a direct response to that threat. It is the most complex piece of currency the United States has ever produced.
The blue ribbon isn't just for show
If you run your finger down the center of the bill, you’ll feel a slight texture change where that thick blue 3D security ribbon sits. This is the heavy hitter of the picture of us 100 dollar security suite.
It’s woven into the paper. Not printed on it. Woven.
When you tilt the bill, something kinda wild happens. The little bells inside the ribbon turn into 100s. If you move the bill side-to-side, they move up and down. If you move the bill up and down, they move side-to-side. It uses nearly a million micro-lenses to create that illusion. It’s a feat of physics that is incredibly difficult to replicate with a standard offset press or a high-end inkjet printer.
Most people just glance at the face, but the ribbon is where the real security lives.
That disappearing inkwell
Right next to Ben's shoulder is a copper-colored inkwell. Inside it sits a Liberty Bell.
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If you tilt the note, the bell changes from copper to green. This "color-shifting ink" has been around for a while, but putting a color-shifting icon inside another color-shifting icon was a major flex by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It makes the bell look like it’s appearing and disappearing within the inkwell.
It’s satisfying to watch. It’s also a nightmare for someone trying to forge it.
The stuff you can't see (unless you really look)
Microprinting is everywhere on this thing. It’s tiny. Like, "need a magnifying glass" tiny.
Look at Franklin’s jacket collar. You’ll see the words "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" in microscopic type. Check the space where the watermark is. Look along the golden quill. It’s all over the place. Most counterfeiters can’t get the resolution high enough to keep those letters from blurring into a solid line.
Then there's the paper. It isn't actually paper.
US currency is a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. That’s why it doesn't fall apart in the wash like a receipt does. If you look closely, you’ll see tiny red and blue security fibers embedded throughout the stock. In the past, people would try to bleach $1 or $5 bills and reprint them as $100s because the paper "felt" right.
The government caught on.
Now, the watermark on the right side shows Benjamin Franklin. If you hold a $100 up to the light and see Abraham Lincoln’s watermark, you’re holding a bleached $5 bill that someone tried to pass off as a Benji.
Why the "picture of us 100 dollar" bill matters for your wallet
Fake money isn't just a problem for banks. It’s a problem for the guy running the taco truck or the person selling a used couch on Facebook Marketplace.
If you take a counterfeit bill, you’re out $100. Period. The bank won't trade it for a real one; they’ll just confiscate it and call the Secret Service. That's why knowing these visual cues is actually a practical skill, not just trivia.
How to spot a fake in three seconds
You don't need a UV light or a special pen. Honestly, those "counterfeit detector pens" are pretty easy to fool if someone uses the right chemical coating on the paper.
- Feel the shoulders. The printing on the $100 bill uses "intaglio" printing. This means the ink is bundled up on the surface. If you run your fingernail across Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder, it should feel rough and ridged. If it’s smooth, be suspicious.
- Check the ribbon. Don’t just look at it. Tilt it. Watch those bells move. If the ribbon is just a flat blue line, it’s a fake.
- The light test. Hold it up to a window. Look for the security thread running vertically to the left of Franklin. It says "USA" and "100" in an alternating pattern. It should be visible from both sides.
The future of the Benjamin
There have been rumors for years about the $100 bill being discontinued. Some economists, like Larry Summers, have argued that getting rid of high-denomination notes would make life harder for tax evaders and drug cartels.
But don't expect the picture of us 100 dollar note to vanish anytime soon.
It is the most widely circulated US bill globally. More $100 bills live outside the United States than inside it. In countries with unstable local currencies, the "Benny" is the ultimate gold standard for savings. It’s a symbol of American economic soft power that carries as much weight in a bazaar in Istanbul as it does in a bank in NYC.
Actionable steps for handling large bills
If you're dealing with cash transactions, especially in the secondary market like Craigslist or marketplace apps, keep these habits in mind.
- Trust your hands first. Your brain is remarkably good at noticing when the cotton-linen blend feels "off." If it feels like standard printer paper or feels waxy, it probably is.
- Look for the "100" in the corner. The large gold "100" on the back right of the note is designed to help people with visual impairments, but it’s also a great security feature because the color shift is so dramatic.
- Ignore the "Replica" marks. Some high-quality fakes are sold as "movie prop money." They often look perfect in photos but will have "For Motion Picture Use Only" printed in small text somewhere.
- Use the "tilt" rule. Always tilt the bill. The color-shifting ink and the 3D ribbon are the two hardest features to fake. If those two things work, you’re almost certainly holding the real deal.
The design might look a bit busy compared to the classic bills of the 1980s, but every single line, color, and texture on the current $100 is there for a reason. It's a high-tech tool disguised as a piece of paper.