
Reverse of the Series 2003A $100
bill
The
United States one hundred-dollar bill ($100)
is a
denomination of
United States currency. U.S.
statesman, inventor, and diplomat
Benjamin Franklin is currently featured on
the
obverse of the bill.
On the reverse of the
banknote is an image of Independence
Hall
. The time on the clock according to the U.S.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, shows approximately 3:22. The
numeral four on the clock face is incorrectly written as "IV"
whereas the real Independence Hall clock face has "IIII". (See
Roman Numerals in
Clocks.) The bill is one of two current notes that does not
feature a
President of
the United States; the other is the
United States ten-dollar bill,
featuring
Alexander Hamilton. It
is the largest denomination that has been in circulation since
July 14,
1969, when the
higher
denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000 and $100,000
were retired.The
Bureau
of Engraving and Printing says the average life of a $100 bill
in circulation is 60 months (5 years) before it is replaced due to
wear. Approximately 7% of all notes produced today are $100
bills.
The bills are also commonly referred to as "Benjamins" in reference
to the use of Benjamin Franklin's portrait on the
denomination.
One hundred-dollar bills are delivered by
Federal Reserve Banks in mustard-colored
straps ($10,000).
Large size note history
(approximately 7.4218 × 3.125 in ≅ 189 ×
79 mm)

Series 1880 $100 bill
- 1861: Three-year $100 Interest Bearing Notes were issued
that paid 7.3% interest per year, the so-called seven-thirties.
These notes were not primarily designed to circulate, and were
payable to the original purchaser of the dollar bill. The obverse
of the note featured a portrait of General Winfield Scott.
- 1862: The first $100 United States Note was issued with a
Bald Eagle on the left side of the
obverse. Two different variations of this note were issued that
resulted in slightly different wording (obligations) on the
reverse; the note was issued again in series of 1863.
- 1863: Both one and two and one half year
Interest Bearing Notes were issued that paid 5% interest. The
one-year Interest Bearing Notes featured a vignette of George
Washington in the center, and allegorical figures representing "The Guardian"
to the right and "Justice" to the left . The two-year notes
featured a vignette of the U.S.
treasury building in the center, a farmer and mechanic to the
left, and sailors firing a cannon to the right of a cat.
- 1863: The first $100 Gold Certificates were issued with a Bald
Eagle to the left and large green 100 in the middle of the obverse.
The reverse was distinctly printed in orange instead of green like
all other U.S. federal government issued notes of the time.
- 1864: Compound Interest Treasury
Notes were issued that were intended to circulate for three
years and paid 6% interest compounded semi-annually. The obverse is
similar to the 1863 one-year Interest Bearing Note.

A 1922 hundred-dollar Gold
Certificate
- 1869: A new $100 United States Note was issued with a
portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the
left of the obverse and an allegorical figure representing
architecture on the right. Although this note is technically a
United States Note, TREASURY NOTE appeared on it
instead of UNITED STATES NOTE.
- 1870: A new $100 Gold Certificate with a
portrait of Thomas Hart
Benton on the left side of the obverse was .
- 1875: The reverse of the series of 1869
United States Note was redesigned. Also, TREASURY
NOTE was changed to UNITED STATES NOTE on
the obverse. This note was issued again in series of 1878 and
1880.
- 1878: The first $100 Silver Certificate was issued with a
portrait of James Monroe on the left
side of the obverse. The reverse was printed in black ink, unlike
any other U.S. Federal Government issued dollar bill.
- 1882: A new and revised $100 Gold
Certificate was issued. The obverse was partially the same as the
series 1870 gold certificate; the border design, portrait of Thomas
H. Benton, and large word GOLD, and gold-colored ink
behind the serial numbers were all retained. The reverse featured a
perched Bald Eagle and the Roman
numeral for 100, C.
- 1890: One hundred dollar Treasury or "Coin
Notes" were issued for government purchases of silver bullion from
the silver mining industry. The note featured a portrait of Admiral
David G. Farragut. The note was also nicknamed a
"watermelon note" because of the watermelon-shaped 0's in the large
numeral 100 on the reverse; the large numeral 100 was surrounded by
an ornate design that occupied almost the entire note.
- 1891: The reverse of the series of 1890
Treasury Note was redesigned because the treasury felt that it was
too "busy" which would make it too easy to counterfeit. More open
space was incorporated into the new design.
- 1891: The obverse of the $100 Silver
Certificate was slightly revised with some aspects of the design
changed. The reverse was completely redesigned and also began to be
printed in green ink.
- 1914: The first $100 Federal Reserve Note was issued with a
portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the obverse and allegorical
figures representing labor, plenty, America, peace, and commerce on
the reverse.
- 1922: The series of 1880 Gold Certificate
was re-issued with an obligation to the right of the bottom-left
serial number on the cats.
Small size note history
(6.14 × 2.61 in ≅ 156 × 66 mm)
- 1929: Under series of 1928, all
U.S. currency was changed to its current size and began to carry a
standardized design. All variations of the $100 bill would carry
the same portrait of Benjamin Franklin, same border design on the
obverse, and the same reverse with a vignette of Independence
Hall. The $100 bill was issued as a Federal Reserve Note with a green seal
and serial numbers and as a Gold
Certificate with a golden seal and serial numbers.
- 1933: As an emergency response to the
Great Depression, additional money
was pumped into the American economy through Federal Reserve Bank
Notes issued under series of 1929. This was the only small-sized
$100 bill that had a slightly different border design on the
obverse. The serial numbers and seal on it were brown.

Reverse of the Series 1934 Gold
Certificate
- 1934: The redeemable in gold
clause was removed from Federal Reserve Notes due to the U.S.
withdrawing from the gold
standard.
- 1934: Special $100 Gold Certificates were
issued for non-public, Federal Reserve bank-to-bank transactions.
These notes featured a reverse printed in orange instead of green
like all other small-sized notes. The wording on the obverse was
also changed to ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS IN GOLD PAYABLE TO THE
BEARER ON DEMAND AS AUTHORIZED BY LAW.
- 1950: Many minor aspects on the obverse of
the $100 Federal Reserve Note were changed. Most noticeably, the
treasury seal, gray numeral 100, and the Federal Reserve Seal were
made smaller; also, the Federal Reserve Seal had spikes added
around it.
- 1963: Because dollar bills were no longer
redeemable in silver, WILL PAY TO THE BEARER ON
DEMAND was removed from the obverse of the series 1963 A
$100 Federal Reserve Note. The obligation was also changed to its
current wording,THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. IN GOD WE TRUST was
added to the reverse.

The Series 1966 United States
Note
- 1966: The first and only small-sized $100
United States Note was issued
with a red seal and serial numbers. It was the first of all United
States currency to use the new U.S. treasury
seal with wording in English
instead of Latin. Like the series 1963 $2 and
$5 United States Notes, it lacked WILL PAY TO THE BEARER ON
DEMAND on the obverse and featured the motto IN GOD
WE TRUST on the reverse. The $100 United States Note was
issued due to legislation that specified a certain dollar amount of
United States Notes that were to remain in circulation. Because the
$2 and $5 United States Notes were soon to be discontinued, the
dollar amount of United States Notes would drop, thus warranting
the issuing of this note.
- 1991: The first new-age anti-counterfeiting
measures were introduced under series 1990 with
microscopic printing around Franklin's portrait and a metallic
security strip on the left side of the bill.
- March 25, 1996: The
first major design change in numerous years took place with the
adoption of a contemporary style layout. The main intent of the new
design was to deter counterfeiting. New
security features included a watermark of
Franklin to the right side of the bill, optically variable ink
(known as O.V.I.) that changed from green to black when viewed at
different angles, a higher quality and enlarged portrait of
Franklin, and hard-to-reproduce fine line printing around
Franklin's portrait and Independence Hall. Older security features
such as interwoven red and blue silk fibers, microprinting, and a
plastic security thread (which now glows red under a black light) were kept. The individual Federal
Reserve Bank Seal was changed to a unified Federal Reserve Seal
along with an additional prefix letter being added to the serial
number.
New $100 bill
- (To be determined): According to a report by the
Associated Press, a redesigned $100
bill is in the works, receiving design changes analogous to the
current $20 bill,
$50 bill, $10 bill and $5 bill. The new $100 bills
had been expected to be released in late 2008, but as of November
2009, no new designs have been announced. New design $100 bill is
on printing production process since 2008/2009 fiscal year. To
fulfill huge demand for this note and redistribution process and
huge costs to banks in each state, time of official presentation is
end of 2009 or first quarter of 2010 (information based on official
FED budget 2009 data
http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/2009newcurrency.htm
) . Although the redesign has been publicized as routine, North Korean counterfeiting operations are a
major concern. The new bills will most likely contain a Crane &
Co. security feature called Motion, containing up to 650,000
microlenses embedded in the printing which
will allow for the image to shift when the bill is moved. This was
used for the first time ever on the Swedish
1,000-kronor note issued on March 15,
2006.
References
Notes