NEW! The Redesigned $100 Bill

Kudos to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This morning the new Series 2009 $100 bill was unveiled in a ceremony with the Department of Treasury presenting the new bill in their Cash Room.

Take a look at the new Ben, isn’t he handsome!

New $100 Bill Front

There are several new security additions along with a slightly modified look for the bill. In particular, look at the blue 3-D strip to the right of Ben’s portrait. If you move the bill from side to side, the contents of the strip – 100 and a liberty bell – move up and down. If you tilt the bill up and down, the contents of the strip move from side to side. This information is embedded in the cotton linen blend of the note not just printed on the surface and is visible without any special devices being necessary.

In addition, they’ve added an inkwell to the right of the portrait that contains an image of the liberty bell. The bell changes color from copper to green when the bill is moved.

Plus, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began adding “Symbols of Freedom” to all of the redesigned currency. For the $100, portions of the Declaration of Independence are printed to the right of the portrait and behind the quill pen and inkwell.

Adding to the shifting colors, the “100” in the lower right corner can be green or copper depending on how you hold and view the note.

Like the earlier changes, you can see Ben’s portrait is larger with no constraining oval around his image. Plus, his shoulders flow into the bottom border of the bill.

From earlier security measures, the bill still contains the security thread to the left of Ben’s portrait. Back lit, you can see USA and 100 alternating along the security thread. This can be seen with regular light, however in ultraviolet light, the thread shows pink.

Also from earlier efforts, the watermark containing Ben’s portrait remains in the blank space to the right. The watermark is embedded when the cotton linen blend is made into sheets for the $100 bills prior to printing.

One of the additional elements in our currency is the rough and raised texture on our bills. For the new $100, the rough area to test is on Ben’s right shoulder (your left when facing the portrait). This printing is added by the enhanced intaglio printing process used for Ben’s portrait.

Very fine microprinting continues to be a deterrent for counterfeiters in several areas on the face of the bill. In particular, very small words can be found in Ben’s collar, along the new quill pen, in the area around the watermark and along the border of the bill. A magnifying glass or loupe can help you see these areas better.

As with the changes to the other currency, a pale blue background color has been added to the $100 bill. This color – more of a wash than a distinctive color – is more difficult for counterfeiters to copy. But, as they caution, the bill’s color should be only a minor security consideration when viewing the new bills. The other security measures are much stronger and more difficult to copy.

These new bills will be made in Washington, D.C. and in Fort Worth, TX. Instead of the mint mark like on coins, the new bills will have a small FW in the upper left corner to the right of the 100 if printed in Fort Worth. Bills printed in Washington, D.C. will not have any designation. The bill above does NOT have the FW which would have shown to the right of the upper left 100 and to the left of the small “H” above the word “Reserve.”

The back of the new bill changed too.

New $100 Bill Reverse

Two prominent changes occurred on the reverse of the new $100. The most obvious change includes the large 100 across the right end of the bill to help the vision impaired see the denomination more easily. The second difference is the view of Independence Hall. Instead of a front view of the building, the new bill shows a picture of the back of the structure.

Now with all of the excitement surrounding the new bill, it won’t be available until February 10, 2011.

In the meantime, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has wonderful information available on their new money web site:

The new $100 bill launch video can be seen on their site or on their YouTube site.

They offer an interactive tour of the new $100 bill on their site. Click on the blue box that says “Explore the Interactive Note” for a fun tour – self-guided or virtual.

Perhaps the most informative is their New $100 Bill page.

But, given that the note will not be out for another almost ten months, take a look at the older versions of Ben and the earlier security measures introduced in the Series 1996 – 2003A on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s money factory site.