Money

Goodbye to counterfeit dollar bills: this is how to detect counterfeit $100 bills

Given their high value, Benjamin Franklin $100 bills are the most counterfeited in the US. Here’s how to detect whether your money is real or not.

Estados Unidos
Yuriko NakaoREUTERS

Millions of coins and bills circulate in the United States every day. One of the most common units is Benjamin Franklin’s famous $100 bill, the largest current denomination of U.S. currency currently in circulation.

According to figures from the United States Department of the Treasury Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Federal Reserve (Fed) issued more than 1.3 million copies of $100 dollar bills in 2023; while in 2022, production was more than two million, making the $100 bill the most widely circulated bill issued by the central bank.

As the most widely produced bill, the Benjamin Franklin $100 is also one of the most commonly used bills in daily circulation. According to data from the American lending company TitleMax, there are approximately 11.5 billion $100 bills in circulation. Due to their frequent use in everyday American life, Benjamin Franklin bills are also among the most counterfeited in the country.

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Goodbye to counterfeit dollar bills: this is how to detect counterfeit $100 bills

According to the Federal Reserve, there are several security features that can help you tell whether you have a fake or real $100 bill, such as “the watermark and the security thread” which has the inscription USA.

The color-changing numbers and the bell in the inkwell can also help identify a real bill. To spot them, tilt the bill slightly and see if the number 100 in the bottom right corner changes from copper to green. The blue ribbon on the front of the bill should have images of bells and numbers 100 that move when you tilt it.

The 3-D security ribbon also helps you detect counterfeits. This should not be printed on the paper, but woven into it. The $100 Benjamin Franklin also features microprints around the bill and a raised print that gives it texture.

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