Ever pulled a crisp Benjamin out of an ATM and noticed it looks more like a high-tech movie prop than the "real" money you grew up with? Or maybe you found an old, small-head bill in a birthday card from your grandma and wondered if you could even buy groceries with it.
Honestly, the old vs new 100 dollar bill debate isn't just for currency nerds or bank tellers. It’s a huge deal if you’re traveling abroad, selling a car on Facebook Marketplace, or just trying to make sure the guy at the gas station doesn't hand you a fake twenty’s big brother.
The short answer? Yes, the old ones are still real money. But the world has changed.
The Big Face Shift: 1996 and 2013
Basically, the U.S. government realized that with better printers came better counterfeiters. They couldn't just keep printing the same bills they’d used since the 1920s.
The first major shake-up happened in 1996. We went from the "small head" Benjamin Franklin—where he was trapped in a tiny oval—to the "big head" version. This wasn’t just a fashion choice for Ben. Moving the portrait out of the center and making it larger allowed for more detail, which is way harder for a guy in a basement to replicate.
Then came the "Blue Note" in 2013. You know the one. It has that thick blue ribbon down the middle and a giant gold inkwell. This is the Series 2004 design (though it didn't hit the streets until 2013 due to some printing hiccups at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing).
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If you’re looking at an old vs new 100 dollar bill, the 2013 version is the one that feels like it belongs in the future.
The 3D Security Ribbon
This is the "magic" trick of the new bill. That blue stripe isn’t printed on the paper; it’s woven through it. If you tilt the bill, you’ll see bells change into the number "100."
If you move the bill back and forth, the bells and numbers move up and down. If you move it side to side, they move back and forth. It’s a trip. If that ribbon feels like it’s just a sticker on top of the paper, it's fake. Run.
Why the "Old" Bills Still Matter
You’ve probably heard rumors that the government is "recalling" old hundreds. That is 100% false.
The U.S. has a policy that all designs of Federal Reserve notes remain legal tender, regardless of when they were issued. You could theoretically walk into a store with a $100 bill from 1950 and it’s still worth exactly one hundred dollars.
But—and this is a big but—private businesses don't have to take them.
In the U.S., most big retailers will accept the 1996 "big head" bills without blinking. However, if you have the pre-1996 "small head" bills, some cashiers might get nervous. They haven't seen them in years. They might think it’s "Monopoly money" simply because they weren't alive when it was the standard.
The International Headache
If you’re traveling to places like Southeast Asia, the Middle East, or South America, the old vs new 100 dollar bill distinction becomes a life-or-death situation for your vacation budget.
Many foreign exchange bureaus and banks outside the U.S. will flat-out refuse any 100 dollar bill that isn't the 2013 blue-ribbon series. If they do take the older ones, they might give you a significantly worse exchange rate.
Why? Because the older bills lack the advanced security features that make the 2013 version so hard to fake. In their eyes, an old bill is a high risk. They don't want to be left holding the bag if it turns out to be a "Supernote"—those high-quality counterfeits allegedly produced by foreign states.
Spotting the Real Deal: The "Feel, Tilt, Check" Method
Regardless of whether it's the 1996 version or the 2013 version, the basics of authentication remain the same. You don't need a fancy UV light (though those are cool). You just need your hands and eyes.
- The Texture: Real bills are printed on a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. They aren't "paper" in the way a notebook is. If you run your fingernail across Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder, it should feel rough. That’s "raised printing" (intaglio), and it's very expensive to mimic.
- The Watermark: Hold either bill up to a light. You should see a faint image of Ben Franklin in the white space on the right side. On the new bills, it’s a very detailed portrait. On the 1996 bills, it's there too. If there’s no watermark, or if it's printed on the surface rather than embedded in the paper, you're holding a fake.
- The Security Thread: Both the 1996 and 2013 versions have a vertical thread. If you hold it to the light, you’ll see "USA 100" repeated. If you have a UV blacklight, this thread glows pink.
- Color-Shifting Ink: Look at the number "100" in the bottom right corner.
- On the old (1996) bill, it shifts from green to black.
- On the new (2013) bill, it shifts from copper to green.
- The new bill also has the "Bell in the Inkwell." The bell is inside a copper inkwell. When you tilt it, the bell changes from copper to green, making it appear and disappear.
Common Misconceptions
I’ve seen people argue that the new bills are "plastic." They aren't. While countries like Canada and the UK switched to polymer, the U.S. is sticking with its cotton-linen blend for now. It’s iconic, and it’s durable.
Another myth is that the "blue" in the new bill is actually a tracking chip. Nope. It’s just a very complex optical feature. The government isn't tracking which strip club you spent your Benjamins at using GPS in the 3D ribbon.
What to Do With Old Bills
If you have a stack of the older 1996-style bills and you're worried about spending them, don't sweat it too much inside the States.
If a store clerk refuses it, just take it to a bank. Any bank will take an older, genuine $100 bill and swap it for a new one, or just deposit it into your account. They’ll then send the old bill back to the Federal Reserve to be shredded and replaced with the new 2013 design.
This is actually how the government slowly "recalls" currency without actually making the old stuff illegal. They just wait for it to hit a bank and then take it out of the game.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your emergency cash: If you keep a "bug-out bag" or a rainy-day envelope with $100 bills, check the dates. If they are pre-2013 and you plan on traveling internationally, go to your bank and swap them for the new blue-ribbon versions.
- Trust the "Feel": When accepting a hundred from a stranger, the texture is your best friend. Most fakes feel too smooth or too "waxy."
- Look for the Bell: If you're handling a new-style bill, the "Bell in the Inkwell" is the hardest feature to fake correctly. If it doesn't change color clearly, don't take the bill.
- Education is key: If you run a small business, make sure your staff knows that the "big head" 1996 bills are still legal tender, but teach them the four specific checks (watermark, thread, ink shift, and raised printing) so they aren't scared of "old" money.
The old vs new 100 dollar bill saga is basically a high-stakes game of cat and mouse between the U.S. Treasury and counterfeiters. While the old bills are still "good," the new ones are undeniably safer to carry.