\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. How to spot a fake 100 dollar bill Cody the Car Guy 161K subscribers Subscribe 5.9K Share 626K views 4 years ago Spotting a fake 100.00 bill is simple and easy to do when you know what to. It's now worth much more than a thousand dollars because of how rare the note is. Provenance: This factor isnt common but a $100 bill that was part of a famous persons collection should bring more value, simply for that fact. These large-size notes, like the discontinued banknotes that are still considered legal tender mentioned above, are quite rare and unlikely to be used in circulation. They are checking to see if the bill shows black or yellow. This ribbon is woven into the paper, not pasted on. This Federal Reserve number corresponds to the Federal Reserve Banks letter found within the Federal Reserve Bank Seal. So you happened upon an old $100 bill that looks different than normal its older and youre not sure if its worth more than $100 and youre not even sure if its real! If the Latin inscription appears on bills Series 1969 and later, if the English inscription appears on bills Series 1963B and before, or if the inscription is simply not correct, then the bill is counterfeit. As with all collectible currency, the value of old one hundred dollar bills is based on condition, rarity, and serial number. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. If, as a business, you accept money and you come across a customer attempting to pay with a banknote listed above that is not a Federal Reserve Note, you should ask the customer for another bill or form of payment and direct him or her to exchange the note for a Federal Reserve Note instead of accepting the note as payment. Since such a counterfeit would look like a real bill under UV light, you also need to perform the last step: If you use the first three steps listed above as a guideline to seeing if your bill is real or fake, you should come to a conclusion! Using touch is not foolproof, however. The words "USA" and "100" should alternate on the thread. If a $1 bill has a Series year prior to 1963, the bill is counterfeit. To check for bill authenticity, feel the paper, tilt the note, and check with light and magnification. Check out our old 100 dollar bill selection for the very best in unique Vintage 100 Dollar Bill Series 1981, Ladder Serial Number H . If you think its cool and want to keep it in your collection, by all means. People may be willing to spend more money on a bill thats popular regardless if they are common and in poor condition. These notes, known as Legal Tender Notes or United States Notes, were engraved with fine-lines, detailed geometric lathe-made patterns, and signatures, and printed with a Treasury seal. The red seal and serial numbers on legal tender notes is something that always appeals to collectors. If you have questions about your old $100 bill and are interested in selling it to us, or simply want to know its value, we would be happy to give our expert opinion on its value. If you look at the 100 in the bottom right-hand corner, you should notice that it shifts from green to black as you move the bill back and forth. Ive been super fortunate to be dealing with paper money for the past 25 years and collecting it all my life. "If not for the details about the blue ribbon peeling off, I would not have suspected my hundred. This has caused many businesses and retailers to ponder the question: what can an employee/cashier do to authenticate older bills? However, a favored method of counterfeiting money is to bleach a low denomination, such as a $1 bill, and print a higher denomination, such as a $20 bill, onto it. TL;DR With an upswing in counterfeit cash in Canada, it's important to know what to look for so you can ensure your bills are always authentic bank notes. You should also see The United States of America in the left lapel of Franklins coat. I have had this bill for over 5 years and always thought it was fake. In short, most $100 bills from 1950 are real and are not worth more than their face value. The technological landscape is ever evolving and with it, payment methods. A complete list of the series years and their corresponding Treasurers of the United States and the Secretaries of the Treasury can be found within the PDF below. Its definitely a good idea to become friends with these people and build relationships if possible. Weve paid thousands of dollars for a 1970s $100 bill with a rare serial number, and a few bucks for an old $100 bill from the 1800s. FEDERAL RESERVE NOTE should appear at the top of every bill. [13] 4 Check microprinting. The back plate number ranges from single-digit numbers to four-digit numbers. Condition is key when dealing with any collectible. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Dont let that discourage you, though. The likely-hood of your running into a counterfeit $100 bill is slim to none. Star notes are replacement bills that the United States Federal Reserve printed. The fourth step is probably one of my favorite which is comparing the bills. However, there are plenty of condition and serial number rarities out there. The following is a list of the Series in which color-shifting ink and watermarks were added to each denomination: Finally, in 2013, one more security feature the 3-D security ribbon was added, but just to the $100 bill (Series 2009 and later). Legal tender means the banknotes that must be accepted as payment for both public and private debts. Unless youre dealing with special artist paper, the paper in your printer is likely 75% wood pulp and 25% cotton. Verify the Watermark When you hold the bill up at an angle, you should see a portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the right side of the bill where the clear section is. This article has been viewed 1,521,050 times. If you want to know how to report counterfeit bills, read on! The following is a list of the Series in which security threads and microprinting were added to each denomination: Then, in 1996, color-shifting ink and watermarks were first added, starting with the $100 bill. It really all depends on multiple factors we go over in this guide. Past methods of achieving raised printing also utilized engravings, put were pressed into paper using another method, such as by hand. Hold the note to light to see an embedded thread running vertically to the left of the portrait. To be comprehensive, there are still six types of legal tender in the United States, but only one is still being issued: Considering all banknotes except the Federal Reserve banknote have not been produced since the 60s, there is almost no chance that youll run into any banknote other than a Federal Reserve banknote. You may have noticed that two bills the $1 bill and the $2 bill do not appear on any of the lists above. How can you tell if an old 100 dollar bill is real? Contact us with a clear image if you think you have something rare. Verify the Color-Changing Ink . Check out our recent post on just that. Below I will talk about old $100 bills from 1950, if theyre real, how to tell, and what they are worth. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Fortunately, it's easy to tell if a 100 dollar bill is real if you know what to look for. So, the first step in authenticating older banknotes is to run your finger along the surface of the bill. The back place number indicates the particular printing plate that was used to produce the back of the bill and is located near the lower right corner of the back of the bill. These are typically worth $250 to $500, but weve paid thousands if the grade deems fit. AMER. The images on the front and back of each denomination are listed below. The value of these notes relies heavily on the state and issuing bank. 2. Security features can help you to tell if a 100 dollar bill is fake or real. This modern technology allowed counterfeiters to easily and quickly produce enormous amounts of counterfeit money that was incredibly similar to real money, considering the only security feature was raised printing. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. The 8 ways to identify a counterfeit bill: Texture Raised ink Small leaf transparent window Metallic portrait in the large transparent window Number value in the large transparent window Border of maple leaves around the large window Building illustrated in the large window Serial number You could have the rarest 1853 $100 bill in the world but if theres no demand in the market, it wont be worth much. Enter 2022. Most hundred-dollar bills stay in circulation for 7 years. This allows us to pay you more money than anyone else. As mentioned above, this became the official size of the bill starting with Series 1928. Below are the features to look for when taking these bills. By using our site, you agree to our. As mentioned above, each older denomination has raised printing as a security feature. The only security feature that exists on these types of notes is raised printing. Small sizegold certificatebills are some of my favorite type of notes to collect. Prior to the Civil War, the only form of legal tender were silver coins. The current monetary system as we know it today was set up through the Federal Reserve Act and the only banknotes that are still issued are Federal Reserve Notes. Youd be surprised how many people bring old money to the bank without a clue that its old and potentially has value. Although counterfeit money has been a problem ever since the money was invented, U.S. currency, since the establishment of the Federal Reserve, was hard to produce passably until modern printing technology was created. The Treasurer of the United States signature should appear to the left of the portrait and the Secretary of the Treasurys signature should appear to the right of the portrait. It is present in most of the US bills (excluding the small-denomination $2 and $1 bills), old and new, and is the primary security feature used by Money Counters and Bill Checkers to identify fakes. There should be two signatures that appear on the front of the bill: the signature of the Treasurer of the United States at the time the bill was issued and the signature of the Secretary of the Treasury at the time the bill was issued. If youd like information on how to authenticate newer bills by checking their security features, check out our previous post. They could be completely innocent. A 1919 $100 bill would look like this: To a collector it could be worth much more. The watermark was first added to the $100 bill in 1996. The number that corresponds to each Federal Reserve Bank and its letter is listed below. There are bells in the ribbon that move as you move the bill. If you are a business owner and you come across a $10 banknote from 1900 that a customer would like to use to purchase an item, do not worry you are under no obligation to accept legal tender as payment; the validity of legal tender concerns debts. Sometimes, when a counterfeiter changes some design features to make a stack of counterfeit bills less suspicious (since no real bill looks exactly like another consider the serial number), he or she may inadvertently change a design feature that does not fit the Series year. How can you tell if an old $20 bill is real? Old $100 bills dated 1928 and later were only printed in three different seal colors: Green, Gold, Brown, and Red. The 1988 $10 bills are worth around $15 in extremely fine condition. This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. $112.95. The average $100 bill stay in circulation for seven years. Although you cannot determine the accuracy of the Note Position itself, you can determine whether or not a Note Position on a bill is at least legitimate or not. X This was the due to the fact that until then, the value of the dollar was backed by silver; you could take the bill to the Treasury or financial institution and exchange it for its equivalent value in silver (dollars). In addition to the standard security features, the $100 bill has a 3D security ribbon woven into the paper. Another watermark to look for while holding the bill up to the light is the portrait of Franklin on the right-hand side. U.S. statesman, inventor and diplomat Benjamin Franklin is featured on the obverse of the bill. The large "100" is particularly easy to see, and the change is dramatic. US currency generally has a distinct feel that is not replicated in lower quality counterfeiting. Market: This ties in with rarity. jimbucks. There are exceptions to this answer though. There currently isnt anyone who can offer more money for your old $5 bills than us. To help you out, we've made a list of all the ways you can spot a fake 100 dollar bill, whether you're looking at a new bill or an old one. If you hold the bill up to UV light, then the strip should glow pink. If the bill is smooth like a regular sheet of paper, theres a chance that the note is counterfeit, but sometimes older bills have worn down enough that the raised printing feature is not readily discernable. Sometimes these notes can be worth $120, other times theyll be worth thousands. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Along the shorter, upper roof, the states are listed as follows: ARKANSAS, MICHIGAN, FLORIDA, TEXAS, IOWA, WISCONSIN, CALIFORNIA, MINNESOTA, OREGON, KANSAS, WEST VIRGINIA, NEVADA, NEBRASKA, COLORADO, NORTH DAKOTA. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. $148.95. California, film director, writer | 775 views, 8 likes, 5 loves, 78 comments, 217 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Mike Netter: REBUILD CALIFORNIA TOWN. U.S. Currency is made up of 75% cotton and 25% linen, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. If a bills Federal Reserve number does not correspond to the Federal Reserve Bank letter as listed below, then the bill is counterfeit: A green Treasury Seal should appear to the right of the portrait, with an overlay of denomination spelled out in grey text. The date 100 years ago is 1919. Beginning with Series 1963 (and Series 1963A for the $50 and $100 bills), the clause was removed completely. Answer (1 of 4): All $100 bills should have four numbers, ranging from 1-12 on them. However, as mentioned above, technology has advanced and become ubiquitous enough that producing a counterfeit bill with distinct and unbroken lines is easier and cheaper than ever which is why you also need to perform the next step: The third step is to place the bill under a ultraviolet (UV) light source to make sure that the paper itself does not glow. The check letter should be an uppercase letter A-H, inclusive, and the quadrant number should be a number 1-4, inclusive, All $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills prior to Series 1950A should have a note position that is a letter A-L, inclusive, All $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills Series 1950A-1950E, inclusive, should have a note position that is a letter A-R, inclusive, All $5, $10, and $20 bills Series 1963 and later and all $50 and $100 bills Series 1963A and later should have a note position that is composed of a check letter and a quadrant number. Bills dated 1990 and OLDER have a higher probability of being fake simply due to the lack of security features on them. Some people like solid serial numbers like A88888888A as number 8 is also considered lucky in many cultures. The thread is imprinted . Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Or you can do it the easy way and go to eBay.com and search the type of bill youre looking for, the date, the denomination, etc. MarketWatch provides the latest stock market, financial and business news. The letter in front of the face plate number should be capitalized and the same as the letter of the note position. But raised printing on currency as we know it was not issued in a federally standardized form until 1914, after the establishment of the Federal Reserve the year prior. There are a few areas you need to focus on when determining the value of old one hundred dollar bills. shine a one dollar bill at the sun. When I was a kid my parents owned a little market, and every now and then, my dad would get really old bills from the grandmas and grandpas who shopped in our store. They will: -Be Printed on Brown Brittle Paper -Have a Black Overprint -Usually Have Blank Backs The most frequently counterfeited bills are colonial notes, confederate currency, and Republic of Texas money. I tried googling and stumbled on this site. For example, if you take a real genuine bill and you take a piece of printer paper and put both under UV, you will see what Im talking about!