You probably have one tucked away in a birthday card or hidden in a "just in case" envelope in your dresser. It’s the C-note. The Benjamin. The most exported piece of paper in American history. Honestly, the american 100 dollar note is a bit of a contradiction because while we’re all out here tapping our iPhones against credit card readers, the demand for this specific piece of paper is absolutely skyrocketing.
There are actually more $100 bills in circulation right now than $1 bills. Let that sink in for a second. According to Federal Reserve data, the number of Benjamins has outpaced the singles for several years running. Most of them aren't even in the United States. They’re sitting in safes in Argentinian apartments or under floorboards in Eastern Europe. It’s the world's favorite mattress stuffer.
What’s Actually On Your American 100 Dollar Note?
Take a look at Benjamin Franklin. He’s the only guy on major U.S. paper currency who wasn't a president. Why is he there? He was a polymath, a printer, and a diplomat, but more importantly, he was one of the guys who literally invented the idea of American money.
The current design, which hit the streets in 2013, is a masterpiece of engineering. People call it the "blue note" because of that massive 3D security ribbon running down the middle. If you tilt the bill, you’ll see bells change into the number 100. It’s not printed on the paper; it’s woven into it. That’s a level of detail that makes the old "small head" bills from the early 90s look like play money.
The Paper Isn't Paper
Common mistake: thinking this is wood pulp. If you wash a $100 bill, it usually survives. Try that with a receipt and it turns to mush. That’s because the american 100 dollar note is made of 75% cotton and 25% linen. Crane Currency, a company based in Massachusetts, has been providing this specific blend to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing since 1879. They even include tiny red and blue security fibers throughout the paper. If you don't see those tiny hairs, you're holding a fake.
Why the $100 Bill is the World’s Reserve Mattress Currency
Economists call it "the Benjamin paradox." As we move toward a digital economy, the physical $100 bill is becoming more popular. Why? Because it represents stability. In countries with hyperinflation or unstable governments, holding a stack of U.S. hundreds is better than having a local bank account.
Ruth Judson, an economist at the Fed, has tracked this for years. Her research suggests that about 60% to 80% of all $100 bills live overseas. It’s a massive export. Essentially, the U.S. prints a piece of paper for a few cents—about 14 cents per bill, actually—and the rest of the world gives us $100 worth of goods and services to get that paper. It’s a pretty sweet deal for the American taxpayer.
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The Crime Factor
There is a dark side. Larry Summers, the former Treasury Secretary, famously argued that we should stop printing the $100 bill altogether. Why? Because it’s the preferred currency for bad actors. A million dollars in $100 bills fits into a standard briefcase and weighs about 22 pounds. Try doing that with $20 bills and you’ll need a literal pallet and a forklift.
While some European countries killed off the 500-euro note for this very reason, the U.S. hasn't budged. The global demand for the Benjamin is just too high. It provides a level of privacy that digital transactions simply cannot match. If you buy a used car for $10,000 in cash, no one is tracking your data to serve you ads for tires later.
Spotting a Fake (Without a Fancy Light)
Counterfeiting is an arms race. The North Koreans were famous for the "Supernote," a fake so good it almost fooled the Fed's own machines. But for the average person, you can spot a fake american 100 dollar note just by using your fingernail.
- Raised Printing: Run your nail across Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder. It should feel rough, like a tiny washboard. This is "intaglio" printing, where the ink is layered thick. Fakes are usually flat.
- The Color-Shifting Ink: Look at the copper-colored inkwell. There’s a bell inside it. When you tilt it, the bell changes from copper to green. This is incredibly expensive to replicate.
- The Microprinting: You might need a magnifying glass for this. Check the collar of Franklin's jacket. It says "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" in letters so small they look like a solid line to the naked eye.
- The Watermark: Hold it up to a light. You should see a faint image of Ben Franklin in the blank space on the right. It should be visible from both sides. If it looks like it was drawn on with a marker, give it back.
The Future of the Benjamin
Will we ever see a $500 or $1,000 bill again? Highly unlikely. The U.S. stopped printing those high-denomination notes in 1945 and officially retired them in 1969. They were used mostly for bank-to-bank transfers before the internet existed. Today, the $100 is the ceiling.
There have been talks about redesigning the note again to include different historical figures, but for now, Franklin is safe. The 2013 design was delayed for years because of printing "creases"—the paper was literally folding during the high-pressure printing process. It cost millions to fix. This tells you how complex these things are to produce.
The Survivalist Edge
In the world of "prepping" and financial sovereignty, the american 100 dollar note is king. If the power grid goes down or a bank's servers get hacked, your debit card is a useless piece of plastic. Cash doesn't need electricity. It doesn't need a signal. It just works.
This "store of value" function is why people keep them in safes. Even with 3% or 4% inflation eating away at the purchasing power, the physical security of having that cash on hand is worth the "inflation tax" to millions of people.
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Actionable Steps for Managing High-Value Cash
If you're going to hold physical $100 bills, you need to do it correctly.
- Check the Series: Look for the year on the bill. Older "small head" bills (pre-1996) are still legal tender, but many retail stores won't accept them because they lack modern security features. If you have old ones, take them to a bank and swap them for the 2013 series.
- Storage Matters: Don't just throw them in a drawer. Keep them in a cool, dry place. Moisture is the enemy of the cotton-linen blend. If they get moldy, banks might refuse them, and you'll have to mail them to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's "Mutilated Currency" division, which takes months to process.
- Verify Large Sums: If you’re selling something on Craigslist for $5,000 in cash, buy a $5 counterfeit detector pen. It’s not foolproof—some fakes use bleached $1 bills—but it’s a good first line of defense. Better yet, do the transaction at your bank and have the teller run them through the counter.
- Understand Reporting: If you deposit more than $10,000 in $100 bills at once, the bank must file a Currency Transaction Report (CTR) with the IRS. Don't try to "structure" payments by depositing $9,000 one day and $1,000 the next to avoid this. That's a federal crime called structuring, and it’s an easy way to get your account frozen.
The $100 bill isn't going anywhere. It’s the ultimate symbol of American economic reach. Whether it’s being used to pay for a vacation or sitting in a bunker in the mountains, it remains the most trusted piece of paper on the planet. Keep a few on hand, know how to spot the fakes, and respect the tech that goes into every single one.