Money feels different lately. If you’ve held a C-note recently, you probably noticed it isn't just a piece of green paper anymore. It’s a high-tech tapestry. The hundred dollar bill background has undergone a radical transformation over the last decade, moving away from that classic, monochrome "small portrait" look toward something that feels a bit like a sci-fi prop.
It's blue. It's gold. It shifts when you move it.
Honestly, the Federal Reserve didn't change the design just for a glow-up. The complexity of the $100 note—specifically the Series 2004 and the heavily overhauled 2013 redesign—is a direct response to a massive global problem: high-end counterfeiting. When North Korea started churning out "supernotes" that were almost indistinguishable from the real thing, the U.S. Treasury had to stop playing around.
That blue ribbon isn't actually printed on the paper
The most striking part of the modern hundred dollar bill background is that 3D Security Ribbon. It’s a vertical blue stripe that runs down the center-right of the note. Here’s the wild part: it’s woven into the paper, not printed on it.
If you tilt the bill, you’ll see something weird. The bells inside the ribbon change to 100s. If you move the bill side to side, they move up and down. If you move it up and down, they move side to side. It uses nearly a million micro-lenses to create that depth. It’s a feat of micro-engineering that makes the old 1990s bills look like Monopoly money.
The paper itself isn't even paper. It’s a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. That’s why it survives a trip through the washing machine while a receipt turns into mush.
The "Bell in the Inkwell" Trick
Right next to Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder, there’s a copper-colored inkwell. It looks fairly standard until you tilt it. A green bell appears and disappears inside the inkwell. This is part of the color-shifting ink technology. The goal here is "easy to check, hard to replicate." A cashier at a busy bodega doesn't have time to use a microscope, but they can see a shifting bell in half a second.
Microprinting and the hidden "The United States of America"
If you look at the hundred dollar bill background with a magnifying glass—or just really good eyesight—the detail is staggering. There is microprinting everywhere. Look at Franklin’s jacket collar. You’ll see the words "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" in tiny letters.
Around the gold quill, there is more text. "USA 100" is sprinkled throughout.
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Counterfeiters usually struggle with this because their printers can’t handle the resolution. On a fake, these letters usually look like a blurry, solid line. On a real note, the edges are crisp. It’s the difference between a high-definition screen and an old tube TV.
Why Ben Franklin stayed on the front
Franklin has been the face of the $100 since 1914. He was never a president, but he was a massive advocate for paper currency in the early colonies. He even used to intentionally misspell words on early Pennsylvania currency because he figured counterfeiters would try to "correct" them, making the fakes easy to spot.
The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) kept him because his face is iconic. However, they made his head bigger. A larger portrait is actually harder to forge because the fine lines in a human face are incredibly difficult to get right. If the eyes look "dead" or the shading on the cheek is blotchy, your brain picks up on it instantly.
The back of the bill: Independence Hall
The hundred dollar bill background on the reverse side features Independence Hall. But it’s not the view you see from the street. It’s the rear view.
There’s a persistent myth that the clock on Independence Hall is set to 4:20. It's not. On the newer notes, the hands show approximately 10:30. There’s no secret Masonic code there; it’s just a clear, high-contrast time that was easy to engrave.
What’s more interesting is the "100" in the corner. It’s huge and gold. This isn't just for style; it helps people with visual impairments distinguish the denomination.
The "Supernote" threat changed everything
Why did we go from the relatively simple "Big Head" design of 1996 to this complex blue-ribbon version?
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Basically, it was the "supernote."
For years, high-quality fakes were showing up in the Middle East and East Asia. They were printed on the same type of presses the U.S. uses, on paper with a similar cotton-linen ratio. They even had the magnetic ink. The only way the Secret Service could stay ahead was to introduce features that require massive, industrial-grade technology to produce—like the 3D ribbon and the color-shifting ink.
The hundred dollar bill background is now a battlefield of physics.
How to tell if your $100 is real in 5 seconds
You don't need a UV light, though if you have one, the security thread will glow pink.
- Feel the paper. It should feel slightly rough to the touch because of the "intaglio" printing process where the ink is literally piled on the paper.
- Check the Ribbon. Tilt it. Make sure the bells turn into 100s.
- Look for the Watermark. Hold it to the light. You should see a faint image of Ben Franklin in the white space on the right. It should be visible from both sides.
- The Gold 100. On the back, there’s a massive gold "100" that has a distinct metallic sheen.
Actionable Steps for Handling Large Bills
If you deal with cash often—maybe you're selling a car or working in retail—relying on those "counterfeit detector pens" isn't enough anymore. Those pens only check the starch content of the paper. Sophisticated fakes use "bleached" singles, where a $1 bill is washed and reprinted as a $100. The pen will say the paper is real, but the bill is fake.
Instead, always look at the hundred dollar bill background for the watermark and the security thread. If the watermark is Abraham Lincoln but the bill says $100, you’re holding a bleached five-dollar bill.
For the highest security, use the "scratch" test. Run your fingernail across Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder. You should feel a distinct vibration because of the raised ink. If it’s smooth as a photo, it’s a fake.
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Get familiar with the 2013 design. It is currently the most secure note in circulation, and knowing these three or four "tells" can save you from a very expensive mistake. Always check for the blue ribbon first; it's the hardest thing for a criminal to get right.