Benjamin Franklin got a makeover, and he’s unveiling it to the country today.
The $100 note, featuring the frequently-quoted founding father, has been redesigned for the first time since 1996, and notes featuring the new design will enter circulation today. The new design, implemented in order to make counterfeiting even harder, was first unveiled in 2010 but the introduction of the bill into circulation was delayed because of production issues. According to the Federal Reserve, the $100 note is used the most popular bill used internationally. It estimates there are currently approximately 8.9 billion $100 notes in circulation, worth $890 billion, with anywhere between one-half to two-thirds of this value circulating outside of the United States.To further explore the redesigned note, NewMoney.gov has an interactive feature that lets you flip, tilt, magnify, back-light and even black-light the new bill.
