Keeping up with the Benjamins
I’m fascinated by alternative currencies, but all eyes are focused on one of our old-school US greenbacks: the Benjamin or $100 bill.
Today, the newly-redesigned $100 bills were distributed to banks. According to Federal Reserve Board Governor Jerome Powell, the new bills are “easier to authenticate, but harder to replicate.”
While the $20 bill is the most frequently counterfeited note, the $100 note is most frequently counterfeited outside the US. In response, advanced security features were added to the bill. They include:
> a blue three-dimensional security ribbon with alternating images of bells/100s when tilted
> a color-changing bell in an inkwell
> an image of the quill used to sign the Declaration of Independence
> mouse type sprinkled throughout the bill
> intaglio or “raised printing” creating a texture around Franklin’s shoulder on the left side of the note
> a new vignette of Independence Hall showing the back of the building
> large “100” shown in gold type for those with visual impairments to help distinguish the denomination
> notes printed in Fort Worth, TX house an F.W. in the upper left corner, while notes printed in Washington, DC have no indicator
If you’re curious like me about the new Benjamin, educational PDFs are available for download here.
Are we liking the new $100 bill?