As the highest valued American bill, we all love to have our greenbacks or hundred-dollar bills. Seeing them is satisfying, but did you know several facts about them that you may not have known? Here are five facts about the $100 bill:
Not a President
It’s not surprising that the face on this bill is Benjamin Franklin since we often refer to them as “Benjamins.” But did you know that it is only one of two currencies with a non-president? The other being Alexander Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill. Franklin was a politician and an inventor but never served as a president of our country. He was, however, considered the most important founding father of the USA to many, so it seemed appropriate that his face grace the $100 bill.
Assists the Visually Impaired
The 100 has an intricate design compared to other bills. You may have noticed the bill has a large number of 100 on its back – this is not to be fancy or flashy. Instead, it is there to aid people with visual impairment in recognizing the bill from other denominations.
Creating $100 Costs More
As we said above, the $100 bill has a more complicated design than other US bills. Because of this, it comes with a cost of 15.4 cents to create each one. The new design came into circulation in 2013. It made it difficult to counterfeit because of the complicated printing techniques. Additionally, the bill allowed vendors to identify it as real (or not) quicker during an exchange of money. The $100 had two new security features added: (1) a 3-D ribbon that, when moved, changes the image of bells to 100s and (2) a bell that disappears and reappears.
Benjamin Franklin’s Should Is Rough Feeling
Try running your finger over Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder on a $100 bill. Do you feel that? It is rough to touch on the left side of the image. The roughness is due to an enhanced printing process called intaglio printing. The process scratches or etches into the printing surface of Ben’s portrait, often using materials such as copper, zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and plastics.
Has a Longer Lifespan than All Others
You may already know that US currency gets taken out of circulation after a while. However, the $100 lasts longer than all other bills. On average, a $100 bill has a lifespan of about 15 years! In comparison, the $1 bill only lasts just under six years, the $10 bill has about 5 1/2 years, and a $20 lasts nearly eight years. Why does the $100 outlast all of the other US bills? It’s because it’s used less frequently, so it out survives the other US bills.
Now that you know some facts about the $100 bill, you may look at your Benjamins with a whole new appreciation. And if you are looking for a deal to spend that money on, we are the place to go with a wide variety of jewelry, coins, and more. We hope to see you at Wizebuys soon.
