You’ve probably seen his face more times than you can count, staring back at you with that slightly smirked, knowing expression from the largest denomination of U.S. currency currently in circulation. But here is the thing: a lot of people just assume every face on our paper money belongs to a former President. It’s a logical guess. Washington is on the one, Lincoln is on the five, and Grant is on the fifty. However, when you ask who is on a 100 bill, you aren't talking about a Commander-in-Chief. You’re talking about Benjamin Franklin.
Ben Franklin. The guy with the kite. The guy who signed the Declaration of Independence but never actually sat in the Oval Office.
It’s kind of wild when you think about it. The "C-note" is the most coveted piece of paper in the global economy, yet it features a man who was technically a scientist, an inventor, and a diplomat before he was a "politician" in the modern sense. He's one of only two non-Presidents featured on current circulating bills, the other being Alexander Hamilton on the ten. Why him? Why not a war hero or a two-term leader? The answer is basically wrapped up in the fact that without Franklin, the United States might not have had the money—or the independence—to print its own currency in the first place.
The Man Behind the $100 Bill: Why Ben Franklin Earned the Top Spot
Choosing a face for the hundred wasn't some random marketing decision made by a focus group in the 1920s. Franklin has been the face of the $100 bill since 1914. Before that, the Treasury shuffled through various figures, including Abraham Lincoln and even James Monroe, but Franklin stuck.
He stayed there because he represents the "American Dream" before that phrase was even a cliché. Franklin was a printer. He was a writer. He was a guy who obsessed over civic duty. Most importantly for the Treasury, he was a massive advocate for paper currency itself. Back in the 1700s, people were incredibly skeptical of paper money. They wanted gold. They wanted silver. Franklin, ever the pragmatists, wrote a whole pamphlet in 1729 called A Modest Enquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper-Currency. He argued that if you wanted a colony to grow, you needed a way to move value around that didn't involve lugging heavy metal chests across the Atlantic.
Honestly, it’s poetic. The man who argued for the existence of paper money ended up being the face of its most valuable version.
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Redesigns, Blue Ribbons, and Anti-Counterfeit Magic
If you look at a $100 bill from the 1980s and compare it to one printed today, they look like two completely different species. The "new" hundred—which actually debuted in 2013 after some annoying printing delays—is a masterpiece of security engineering.
The first thing you’ll notice isn't even Franklin’s face. It’s that 3D Security Ribbon. It’s blue, it’s woven into the paper (not printed on it), and it features images of bells and 100s that move when you tilt the note. If you move the bill back and forth, the bells turn into 100s. If you move it up and down, they move sideways. It’s the kind of tech that makes you realize just how much effort goes into stopping people from printing these in their basements.
Then there’s the "Bell in the Inkwell." Just to the right of Ben’s shoulder, there’s a copper-colored inkwell. Inside it sits a green bell. When you tilt it, the bell changes color from copper to green, making it look like it's appearing and disappearing.
These features aren't just for show. The $100 bill is the most frequently counterfeited note outside of the United States. While the $20 bill is the favorite of domestic counterfeiters (who usually just try to pass off fakes at gas stations), international cartels and foreign governments go for the big fish. By putting who is on a 100 bill—the venerable Benjamin Franklin—behind a literal wall of high-tech holographs and microprinting, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing keeps the global economy from falling into chaos.
The Face That Launched a Thousand Rap Songs
We call them "Benjamins" for a reason. In pop culture, Franklin’s face has become shorthand for success, wealth, and the "grind." It’s fascinating because Franklin himself was actually pretty wary of extreme wealth. He famously refused to patent his inventions—like the lightning rod or the Franklin stove—because he believed that since we benefit from the inventions of others, we should be happy to provide our own for free.
There’s a weird irony in a man who hated the idea of "intellectual property" becoming the ultimate symbol of "getting paid."
But maybe that’s why it works. Franklin was approachable. He wasn't a stiff, aristocratic general like Washington. He was a guy who liked a good joke, spent way too much time in France, and had a bit of a reputation for being a ladies' man well into his old age. He was human. When you see him on that bill, he doesn't look like a statue. He looks like he’s about to tell you a secret.
Small Details You Probably Never Noticed
Next time you’re lucky enough to hold one of these, take a second to really look at it. There is a level of detail that borders on the insane.
- Microprinting: If you look at Franklin’s jacket collar, there are tiny words that say "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." You can’t see them without a magnifying glass.
- The Watermark: Hold the bill up to the light. You’ll see a faint image of Franklin in the blank space to the right of the portrait. It’s visible from both sides.
- The Texture: Run your fingernail across Franklin’s shoulder. It should feel rough. This is "intaglio" printing, a process where the ink is pressed so hard into the paper that it leaves a raised texture.
- The Gold 100: On the back of the bill, there’s a massive gold "100" printed vertically. This helps people with visual impairments identify the note, but it also serves as another layer of "too-expensive-to-fake" security.
Why There Isn't a $500 or $1,000 Bill Anymore
People often wonder why Franklin is the "top" face. Didn't we used to have $500 bills with William McKinley or $1,000 bills with Grover Cleveland?
Yeah, we did. There was even a $10,000 bill with Salmon P. Chase (the guy who basically invented the modern banking system) and a $100,000 gold certificate with Woodrow Wilson. But the government stopped printing those in 1945 and officially retired them in 1969.
The reason was simple: crime.
If you’re trying to move $1 million in cash, doing it in $100 bills requires a briefcase that weighs about 22 pounds. If you do it in $10,000 bills, you can fit it in your pocket. To make life harder for money launderers and tax evaders, the feds decided that Ben Franklin would be the end of the line. He is the ceiling.
Spotting a Fake (The Quick Way)
Since you now know who is on a 100 bill, you should probably know how to tell if he’s the "real" Ben. Most people think you need a special pen. You don't. Those pens just detect starch in wood-based paper. Real money isn't paper; it’s a 75% cotton and 25% linen blend.
The easiest "pro" tip? Look at the blue ribbon. If you can scratch it off with your nail, it’s fake. If the bells don't move when you tilt it, it’s fake. But the most reliable method is the watermark. If there is no faint Ben Franklin on the right side when you hold it to a lightbulb, that bill is essentially a fancy napkin.
Actionable Tips for Handling Large Bills
If you’re dealing with $100 bills regularly—maybe you’re a small business owner or you just sold something on Facebook Marketplace—don't be awkward about checking them.
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- Buy a UV Light: It’s cheaper than a dinner at McDonald’s. Under UV light, a real $100 bill has a vertical thread that glows pink. If it glows any other color, or doesn't glow at all, someone is trying to scam you.
- Feel the Paper: Real U.S. currency has a very specific "snap" and a crisp texture. If it feels "waxy" or like standard printer paper, it’s a dud.
- Check the Serial Numbers: On a real bill, the serial numbers are perfectly spaced and the ink matches the Treasury Seal exactly. On fakes, the numbers are often slightly misaligned.
- Trust the "Blink": Use the color-shifting ink. Look at the "100" in the bottom right corner. If it doesn't clearly shift from copper to green, don't take it.
Benjamin Franklin might have never been President, but his influence on American life—from the way we handle electricity to the way we think about the value of a dollar—is more present than almost anyone else's. He was the ultimate polymath. He was a man who understood that for a country to thrive, its people needed a stable, trusted way to exchange value.
So, when someone asks you who is on a 100 bill, don't just say his name. Remind them that he’s the reason we’re using paper at all. He’s been the face of American prosperity for over a century, and based on how hard it is to counterfeit the new design, he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Check your wallet. Look for the blue ribbon. Make sure your Ben is the real deal before you try to spend him.