You’ve probably seen the memes or the grainy photos. A bright, orange-tinted banknote featuring the stern face of Woodrow Wilson. It’s the us 100000 dollar bill, and no, it’s not something you can just pull out of an ATM or use to buy a Tesla.
In fact, if you happen to have one in your wallet right now, you’re either a high-level Federal Reserve employee from 1934 or, much more likely, you’re holding a counterfeit.
Money is weird. We think of it as paper, but it’s mostly cotton and linen. We think of it as "ours," but the government strictly controls who gets to use which denominations. The $100,000 Gold Certificate is the peak of that control. It represents a specific, frantic moment in American history when the economy was basically screaming into a void.
What was the point of a six-figure bill?
The year was 1934. The Great Depression was hitting like a sledgehammer. Banks were failing, people were hoarding gold, and the government needed a way to move massive amounts of money between Federal Reserve Banks without literally hauling crates of gold bars across the country.
Imagine trying to move $100 million in 1930s logistics. You’d need an army.
So, the Treasury Department printed the us 100000 dollar bill. It wasn't meant for you. It wasn't meant for your local grocery store. It was a "Gold Certificate," meaning it was backed by actual bullion held in the Treasury. These bills were used strictly for official transactions between Federal Reserve banks. They were internal accounting tools that happened to look like currency.
If a regular person tried to spend one back then? They’d be arrested. The 1933 Executive Order 6102 had already made it illegal for private citizens to own significant amounts of gold or gold certificates. This bill was the ultimate "staff only" sign of the financial world.
The Woodrow Wilson connection and the design
Why Woodrow Wilson?
Usually, our money features presidents like Lincoln or Washington who are universally recognized as "the greats." Wilson is a bit more complicated for modern historians, but in 1934, he was the man who had overseen the creation of the Federal Reserve System in 1913. It made sense. If you’re printing a bill that only the Federal Reserve will use, you put the guy who gave them life on the front.
The design is striking. While our modern twenties and fifties are a mix of subtle purples and greens, the $100,000 bill stayed true to the "Gold Certificate" aesthetic. The back is a vibrant, almost shocking orange. It’s officially called "Series 1934."
They only printed about 42,000 of them. That sounds like a lot, but when you realize they were only printed for a few weeks between December 1934 and January 1935, it’s a tiny window of history.
Can you own one today?
Short answer: No.
Longer answer: Still no, unless you are a museum.
It is actually illegal for a private collector to own a us 100000 dollar bill. Because they were never issued to the public, any bill found in a private collection is technically stolen government property. The Secret Service doesn't mess around with this. If you find one in your grandfather’s attic, it’s almost certainly a replica. If it’s real, the government wants it back.
There are a few specimens left. You can see them at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection or at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. They are kept under heavy guard.
The death of high-denomination currency
We used to have $500, $1,000, $5,000, and even $10,000 bills in general circulation. You could actually walk into a bank in 1940, hand over a pile of cash, and walk out with a $1,000 bill featuring Grover Cleveland.
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But the $100,000 was different. It was the only one never intended for the light of day.
By 1969, the government officially stopped issuing all high-denomination notes. Why? Technology and crime.
As electronic wire transfers became a thing, the need to move physical $100,000 bills vanished. Simultaneously, the government realized that high-value bills were a godsend for money launderers and tax evaders. It’s a lot easier to hide a million dollars in $10,000 bills than it is in $20 bills.
Today, the $100 bill is the largest denomination in circulation. There have been talks about getting rid of the $100 bill too, mainly to make life harder for cartels, but for now, Benjamin Franklin is still the king of the wallet.
The counterfeit problem
Because the us 100000 dollar bill is so legendary, it’s a favorite for scammers. You’ll see "novelty" versions sold at gift shops or online. They look real-ish to the untrained eye, but they usually have "In God We Trust" or other markings that weren't on the original 1934 series in that specific way.
Real 1934 Gold Certificates are masterpieces of engraving. The fine lines in Wilson's portrait are nearly impossible to replicate perfectly without the original plates.
If you ever see an advertisement for a "rare $100,000 bill" for sale on an auction site for $500, please, just walk away. It’s a piece of paper worth about five cents.
Technical specs for the nerds
For those who care about the nitty-gritty, here is what made this bill unique:
- Paper: It used the standard Treasury blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen with red and blue synthetic fibers.
- Dimensions: Same as modern US currency (6.14 x 2.61 inches).
- The "Gold" Factor: It wasn't actually made of gold, but it represented a claim on gold held in the vaults.
- Signature: It featured the signatures of W.A. Julian (Treasurer of the United States) and Henry Morgenthau Jr. (Secretary of the Treasury).
It’s a ghost. A financial phantom.
We live in a world of digital bits and credit scores. The idea of a physical piece of paper being worth $100,000—roughly $2.2 million in today's money when adjusted for inflation—is mind-boggling.
Actionable steps for history buffs and collectors
Since you can't actually buy a us 100000 dollar bill, what can you do if you're fascinated by this era of "Big Money"?
- Visit a Fed Museum: The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Money Museum and the Smithsonian in D.C. are your best bets to see a real one. It’s a weirdly religious experience for finance geeks.
- Collect $500 or $1,000 bills: If you want high-denomination currency that is actually legal to own, look for the Series 1934 $500 (McKinley) or $1,000 (Cleveland). They aren't cheap—usually starting at $800 and $2,000 respectively—but they are legal tender.
- Study the 1934 Gold Act: To understand why this bill exists, read up on the Gold Reserve Act of 1934. It explains the shift from a gold-backed economy to the fiat system we have now.
- Verify your "founds": If you truly think you’ve found a rare high-value note, do not try to spend it. Take it to a reputable member of the Professional Currency Dealers Association (PCDA) for authentication.
The $100,000 bill is a relic of a time when the government was trying to figure out how to be a global superpower while the banking system was crumbling. It’s a reminder that money is only worth what we all agree it’s worth—and in 1934, the government agreed this specific piece of paper was worth a fortune, as long as you weren't the one holding it.