You’re digging through an old greeting card or maybe a winter coat you haven't worn since the Obama administration, and there it is. A crisp, slightly yellowed C-note. But something looks... off. Benjamin Franklin is tiny. He’s staring out from a small oval in the center, looking much more "founding father" and much less "modern hologram." Most people freak out for a second. Is it fake? Is it even legal tender anymore?
The short answer is yes, it's real. Well, probably.
Old 100 dollar bills are becoming a rare sight in everyday commerce, mostly because the Treasury has been on a crusade to make life miserable for counterfeiters. Since the mid-90s, the design has changed so much that the "small head" bills from the 70s and 80s look like play money to Gen Z cashiers. But here's the thing: while that bill is worth at least a hundred bucks at the grocery store, it might be worth significantly more to a collector. Or, it might be a ticking time bomb of inflation if you just let it sit there.
Honestly, the Federal Reserve doesn't care which version you use. According to the U.S. Currency Education Program, it is official government policy that all designs of Federal Reserve notes remain legal tender, regardless of when they were issued. You could walk into a Starbucks with a 1934 Series $100 bill and buy a latte, though the barista might call their manager because they've never seen paper money that looks like a museum artifact.
Why the look of the hundred changed so much
Money used to be simple. You had green ink, black ink, and some fancy linen paper. Then the 1990s hit, and high-quality color copiers became a nightmare for the Secret Service.
The biggest shift happened in 1996. That was the year we got the "big head" bills. Ben Franklin got a makeover, moved slightly to the left, and the oval got bigger. This wasn't just for aesthetics; it made room for a watermark. If you hold a post-1996 bill to the light, you see a second, ghost-like Ben on the right side. If you're holding an old 100 dollar bill from 1990 or earlier, you won't find that watermark. It simply didn't exist yet.
People often forget that before 1990, $100 bills didn't even have security threads. That thin plastic strip that glows pink under UV light? That was a "high-tech" addition for the Series 1990. If you have a bill from 1985, it's basically just ink on paper. This makes the older series incredibly easy to forge by modern standards, which is why banks are often quick to yank them out of circulation and send them to the shredder.
The 2013 "Blue Ribbon" Revolution
Then came the Series 2004A (actually released in 2013). This is the one we see most often today—the one with the 3D Blue Security Ribbon. It’s not printed on the paper; it’s woven into it. When you tilt the bill, the bells inside the ribbon change to 100s. It’s fancy. It’s cool. And it makes your old 100 dollar bills look like relics from the Victorian era by comparison.
But rarity creates value. Every time a bank sends a 1977 series bill back to the Fed, it gets destroyed. The supply is shrinking.
Is your old money worth more than face value?
This is where it gets fun. Most old bills are just worth $100. If it’s been folded a million times, has "Happy Birthday" written in Sharpie on the corner, or has a massive tear, it’s just lunch money. However, numismatists (the fancy word for coin and bill collectors) look for very specific things that can turn a hundred into a thousand.
Star Notes are the big ones. Check the serial number. If there is a small star at the end of the string of numbers instead of a letter, you’ve found a replacement note. These are printed when the original sheet had an error. They are much rarer than standard runs. A Series 1981A Star Note in "Choice Uncirculated" condition can easily fetch $200 to $300 at auction.
Fancy Serial Numbers
Collectors are weirdly obsessed with patterns. If the serial number on your old 100 dollar bill is "00000042," you're sitting on a goldmine. Same goes for "ladders" (12345678) or "radars" (numbers that read the same forward and backward). I once saw a "solid" serial number—where every digit was a 7—sell for a staggering amount of money because, well, people like patterns.
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The Condition Grade
In the world of currency grading, a "70" is perfection. Most bills in your wallet are lucky to be a "10." If your old bill is "EPQ" (Exceptional Paper Quality), meaning it hasn't been chemically cleaned or pressed to look newer, it’s worth a premium. Even a common 1950 series bill can be worth $150 if it looks like it was printed yesterday. If it’s limp and dirty? Just spend it.
Common myths about old hundreds
I hear this one a lot: "The government is recalling old bills."
No. They aren't.
The U.S. has never demonetized its currency. Unlike the UK or the EU, where old banknotes actually lose their status as "legal tender" after a certain date, every dollar ever printed by the U.S. government since 1861 is still technically spendable. You could find a $100 "Gold Certificate" from the 1920s and legally pay for your groceries with it. Please don't do that, though—those are worth thousands to collectors.
Another myth is that if the security thread is missing, it's fake. Again, check the year. If the bill was printed before 1990, it shouldn't have a thread. If it's a 1996 series and doesn't have a watermark, then you have a problem.
What to do if you find one
Don't just rush to the bank.
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If you take an old 100 dollar bill to a standard commercial bank, they will likely give you a shiny new 2013 series bill in exchange. They aren't in the business of appraising collectibles. Once they have that old bill, it’s headed to the Federal Reserve to be turned into confetti. You've essentially traded a potential collector's item for a boring piece of modern plastic-paper.
Instead, follow these steps:
- Check the Serial Number: Look for stars, low numbers (under 1000), or repeating patterns.
- Feel the Paper: Real U.S. currency is 75% cotton and 25% linen. It should feel slightly rough. If you run your fingernail over Ben Franklin’s coat, you should feel "intaglio" ridges. If it's smooth, it's likely a counterfeit.
- Look for "Small Heads": Bills from 1928 through 1993 feature the smaller portrait. These are the ones most likely to appreciate in value as they vanish from circulation.
- Keep it Flat: If the bill is in great shape, put it in a hard plastic sleeve. Do not use a paperclip. Do not fold it. Every crease lowers the "grade" and knocks 20% off the potential value.
The "Gold Certificate" and "Silver Certificate" outliers
Occasionally, someone finds a $100 bill with a gold or blue seal instead of the standard green one. If you see a gold seal and "Gold Certificate" written across the top, stop everything. These were used before 1933 when you could literally exchange paper for gold coins. They are incredibly rare in the wild. A blue seal indicates a Silver Certificate. While $100 Silver Certificates are rare (most were $1, $5, or $10), they carry a massive premium over face value.
The Reality of Spending Old Money in 2026
Let's be real: trying to spend a 1950 series bill at a fast-food joint is a headache.
Most modern retail employees are trained to look for the blue ribbon or the watermark. They might use those "counterfeit detector pens" which are, quite frankly, a bit unreliable. Those pens react to the starch in wood-based paper. If an old bill was stored in a damp basement or near old newspapers, it might "fail" the pen test even if it's 100% authentic.
If you absolutely must spend it and don't want to deal with a suspicious teenager at a cash register, take it to a bank. But again, check the collector value first.
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Where to sell?
If you think you have a winner, check eBay "Sold" listings—not the "Asking" prices. Anyone can ask $500 for a dirty bill, but what matters is what people actually paid. Heritage Auctions or local coin shops are also great resources. Just be prepared for the shop owner to offer you a "wholesale" price, usually 50-60% of what they'll sell it for.
Actionable Steps for Your Old Bills
If you are holding old 100 dollar bills right now, here is exactly what you should do to maximize their value:
- Audit your stash: Look at the "Series" year (usually found near the portrait). If it's 1969, 1950, or 1934, it's worth a second look.
- Inspect the Seal: Is it green? Fine. Is it Red? That's a "United States Note" and it's definitely worth more than $100.
- Check for "Bank Notes": Some older hundreds were issued by specific banks (e.g., The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago). Collectors sometimes try to "complete the set" of all 12 districts.
- Avoid the "Cleaning" Trap: Never, ever try to wash or iron a bill to make it look newer. Collectors can tell, and it ruins the value instantly. The "crispness" comes from the original sizing of the paper; once that's gone, it's gone.
- Consult a Price Guide: The Standard Guide to Small-Size U.S. Paper Money is the industry bible for this stuff. You can usually find a copy at your local library.
The era of the "Small Head" Benjamins is effectively over. We live in a world of color-shifting ink and microprinting. But that just makes these survivors more interesting. Whether it's an emergency fund or a lucky find, an old hundred is more than just money—it's a little slice of economic history you can hold in your hand. Stick it in a protective sleeve, keep it out of the sun, and wait. Time is the one thing that makes money more valuable, ironically, even as inflation tries to do the opposite.