Check if a 100 Dollar Bill Is Real

The U.S. Treasury uses many security features to prevent counterfeiting. They have to: almost nine million dollars in counterfeit bills are in circulation in the U.S. About every decade, the U.S. $100 bill is redesigned, so the features you check for will depend on the date the bill was issued. Series 2009 bills and later have more security features to check. The U.S. $100 bill features Benjamin Franklin’s portrait on the front and Independence Hall on the back.

Steps

Checking Older Bills (Pre-Series 2009)

1. Check the date. The newest $100 bills are “Series 2009” bills, and they have many different security features. Older bills are being phased out of circulation to prevent counterfeiters from fooling people. Nevertheless, older bills are still legal tender, so if you get one you shouldn’t automatically assume it is fake. Check the date on the bill.
   • The average $100 bill stay in circulation for seven years. Accordingly, most of the older bills should be out of circulation by now. Nevertheless, you might have one or more stored at home that you want to check.
2. Feel the bill. U.S. currency has a distinctive feel. The bills are printed on cotton and linen, not paper. Also, bills should have slightly raised ink, which is a feature of the printing process. If you handle currency as part of your job, you should quickly develop familiarity with the feel of authentic money.
   • Using touch is not foolproof, however. The most successful counterfeiters will bleach real money and then print over it.
   • Nevertheless, counterfeiters struggle to reproduce the raised printing, so feeling the bill is a good first step.
3. Look for the security thread. A $100 bill printed after 1990 should have a security thread on the left-hand side that is only visible when you hold the bill up to the light. The words “USA” and “100” should alternate on the thread. If you hold the bill up to UV light, then the thread glows pink.
4. Check microprinting. Older bills used microprinting as a security feature. Use a magnifying glass to check for microprinting, which will appear in different spots depending on the year the bill was issued.
   • For example, in $100 bills issued between 1990-1996, the words “The United States of America” should appear on the outer edge of the portrait oval.
   • For bills issued between 1996-2013, “USA100” should appear in the numeral 100 on the lower left-hand corner. You should also see “The United States of America” in the left lapel of Franklin’s coat.
5. Look for color-shifting ink. $100 bills issued between 1996-2013 employ color-shifting ink. Tilt the note in the light and look in the lower right-hand corner. The numeral 100 should change from green to black.
6. Find the watermark portrait. Bills printed after 1996 have a watermark portrait of Benjamin Franklin in the blank space at the right-hand side. The image should be very faint but visible from either side.
7. Pay attention to blurry borders. Real bills should have clear, sharp lines, which are very hard for counterfeiters to reproduce. If you see blurry printing or text, then you are probably dealing with a counterfeit.
8. Use a counterfeit money detection pen. This pen is sold at Amazon and costs $5. It checks for common chemicals used in counterfeits. However, fraudsters have gotten wise and no longer use the chemicals, so the pen isn’t foolproof.
   • Nevertheless, you can now buy a counterfeit detection pen that has a UV light built into the cap and costs under $10.
9. Compare it with another bill. No special security features were used on $100 bills printed before 1990. Accordingly, the best way to check its authenticity is to compare it to another $100. You might have to go to a bank to check if the bill is authentic.
   • You can also visit the U.S. Currency website and find images of older $100 bills.

Checking Newer Bills (Series 2009 and Later)

1. Look at the serial numbers. The serial number should correspond to the series. The serial number appears in the upper left and lower right corners. If the serial number doesn’t correspond to the series, then you are dealing with a counterfeit.
   • If the bill is series 2009, then the serial number should begin with J.
   • If the bill is series 2009A, then the serial number should begin with L.
2. Feel Franklin’s shoulder. The new $100 uses raised printing on Ben Franklin’s shoulder. Run your fingers over the spot. You should be able to feel texture.
3. Check for color-change ink. There is a large copper-colored inkwell to the left of the bill’s serial number. Inside the inkwell is a bell, which should change color from copper to green as you look at the bill from different angles.
   • The numeral 100 beside the inkwell should also change color, just as it does on some older $100 bills.
4. Hold the bill up to the light. An embedded thread runs just to the left of Franklin’s portrait. The letters “USA” and the number 100 alternate along the strip, which is visible from both sides of the note.
   • If you hold the bill up to UV light, then the strip should glow pink.
   • You can also purchase a counterfeit detector which shines UV light, which might be helpful if your business handles a lot of bills. A popular option is the AccuBanker D63 Compact. It costs about $50.
5. Check the blue security ribbon. Just to the right of Franklin’s portrait is a blue security ribbon. This ribbon is 3-D. Move the bill back and forth and check that you see the number 100 and tiny bells move from side-to-side as you move the bill.
   • This ribbon is woven into the paper, not pasted on. Accordingly, if the blue ribbon is peeling off the bill, then you have a fake.
6. Look for the watermark portrait. Hold the bill to the light and look for a faint image of Benjamin Franklin in the white oval on the right-hand side. You can see the watermark portrait on either side of the bill.
7. Use a magnifying glass to find the microprint. Check around Franklin’s jacket collar. You should see the words “The United States of America” in small type.
   • You should also see “USA 100” around the white space that contains the portrait.
   • The words “100 USA” should also appear around the quill pen to the right of Franklin.

Reporting Counterfeit Bills

1. Hold onto a counterfeit bill. If you believe the bill is fake, you should not return it to the person who passed it to you. Instead, try to delay the person. Call a manager to the front and tell the passer the manager needs to look at the bill.
2. Write down details. As you wait, note important details about the passer. Write down their age, height, hair color, eye color, weight, and other unique features.
   • If the person drove to your business, try to get their license plate number.
   • Remember that the person giving you the bill might not be the counterfeiter, so don’t think you have to perform a citizen’s arrest or anything. They could be completely innocent.
3. Initialize the bill. You should write your initials and the date in the white border surrounding the $100 bill.
4. Handle the bill sparingly. You’ll need to hand it over to the police, who might be able to pull fingerprints off the bill. For this reason, touch the fake $100 as little as possible. Store it in an envelope in your register.
   • Remember not to put it in with the other bills. Instead, mark your envelope “counterfeit” so that you can find it quickly.
5. Call the police. You can find the number in your telephone book. Tell them you have a counterfeit $100 bill and give them your location. They will tell you what to do next. Generally, the police will contact the Secret Service to investigate.
   • You can also call the Secret Service directly, if you want. You can find your local office at this website: https://www.secretservice.gov/contact/field-offices/. Enter your zip code.
6. Hand over the counterfeit bill. Only turn the bill over to an identified police officer or Secret Service agent. If you give the bill to the Secret Service, you may need to complete a Counterfeit Note Report for each bill.

Sources and Citations

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