Einhundert-US-Dollar-Banknote

Front of the Series 2011 $100 bill

Reverse of the Series 2011 $100 bill

Datei:Series1934 100gold obverse.jpg

Obverse of the Series 1934 Gold Certificate

Reverse of the Series 1934 Gold Certificate

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 4:10. 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, and $10,000 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 29% of all notes produced in 2009 were $100 bills.

The bills are also commonly referred to as "Benjamins" in reference to the use of Benjamin Franklin's portrait on the denomination. They are also often referred to as "C-Notes" based on the Roman numeral C which means 100.

One hundred-dollar bills are delivered by Federal Reserve Banks in mustard-colored straps ($10,000).

The Series 2009 $100 bill redesign was unveiled on April 21, 2010, and was to be issued to the public in early 2011.

Production of the redesigned high-tech bills was shut down in December 2010 because as many as 30% were unusable due to a manufacturing flaw. A vertical crease in the paper reveals a blank space on the bill when pulled out.

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.
• 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, beginning with series 1963A, WILL PAY TO THE BEARER ON DEMAND was removed from the obverse of the $100 Federal Reserve Note and the obligation was shortened to its current wording, THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. Also, 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 since 1929 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 (OVI) 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.
• The newest $100 bill was announced on April 21, 2010 and was to enter circulation in early 2011. In addition to design changes introduced in 1995, the obverse features the brown quill that was used to sign the Declaration of Independence; faint phrases from the Declaration of Independence; a bell in the inkwell that appears and disappears depending on the angle at which the bill is viewed; teal background color; a borderless portrait of Benjamin Franklin; and to the left of Franklin, small yellow 100s whose zeros form the EURion constellation. The reverse features small yellow EURion 100s and has the fine lines removed from around the vignette of Independence Hall. These notes will be issued as series 2009 with Rios-Geithner signatures.

Jean-Baptiste Greuze portrait of Benjamin Franklin used on the $100 bill from 1929 until 1993.

Joseph-Siffred Duplessis portrait of Benjamin Franklin used on the $100 bill 1996 onward.

Further reading

• Robert Wilhite: Standard Catalog of United States Paper Money (17th ed). Krause Pubns Inc, 1998, ISBN 0-87341-653-8. 
• Thomas Hudgeons: The Official Blackbook Price Guide to U.S. Paper Money 2006, Edition #38. House of Collectibles, 2005, ISBN 1-4000-4845-1. 
• Arthur Friedberg, Ira Friedberg, David Bowers: A Guide Book Of United States Paper Money: Complete Source for History, Grading, and Prices (Official Red Book). Whitman Publishing, 2005, ISBN 0-7948-1786-6.