What did hundred dollar bills look like in 1996?
Obverse Image: Portrait of Benjamin Franklin in center of note, seal of the United States (left side of note). Reverse Image: Independence Hall with trees.
It is U.S. government policy that all designs of Federal Reserve notes remain legal tender, or legally valid for payments, regardless of when they were issued. This policy includes all denominations of Federal Reserve notes, from 1914 to present as per 31 U.S.C. § 5103.
Hold the note to light to see an embedded thread running vertically to the left of the portrait. The thread is imprinted with the letters USA and the numeral 100 in an alternating pattern and is visible from both sides of the note. The thread glows pink when illuminated by ultraviolet light.
They are worth $100. A typical $100 bill printed in 1996 has no value beyond its face value. One with some unusual feature — such as a "star" after the serial number — could be worth more to a collector.
In the first significant design change since the 1920s, U.S. currency is redesigned to incorporate a series of new counterfeit deterrents. Issuance of the new banknotes begins with the $100 note in 1996, followed by the $50 note in 1997, the $20 note in 1998, and the $10 and $5 notes in 2000.
1890 $100 'Watermelon' Treasury Note
The government holds eight in secure locations and many others have not been on public display for many years, making those in collectors' hands among the rarest and most valuable currency notes in existence.
All U.S. currency issued since 1861 remains valid and redeemable at full face value. Congress authorizes a new class of currency, known as “United States notes,” or “Legal Tender notes.” These notes are characterized by a red seal and serial number.
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.
For $100 bills, you may be used to checking with a marking pen. In addition, a way to verify a legitimate bill is to double check the 100 in the corner of the bill. The color change of copper/green to black on the 100 in the lower right corner will help you verify an authentic $100 bill.
See the dark green numbers on the top-left and top-right corners? They could mean your bill is worth much more than its face value. If a serial number's digits are unique or interesting, collectors might be willing to pay big bucks — hundreds or even thousands of dollars — for your bill.
How much is a 1996 dollar worth today?
$1 in 1996 has the same purchasing power as $1.92 in 2024. Over the 28 years this is a change of $0.92.
At U.S. Coins & Jewelry, we buy and sell a large selection of collectible US Currency from small size silver certificates to large size treasury notes, banknotes, and even confederate currency.
Any one hundred dollar bill from 1950 or newer is basically going to just be worth the face value of $100 dollars. You have to remember that billions of one hundred dollar bills have been printed since 1950.
Make sure the portrait of Ben Franklin looks realistic, sharp, and highly-detailed. You can also hold the bill up to a light to see if it's real. With the portrait of Franklin facing you, look for a watermark that says "100 USA" to the left of the portrait and a ghost copy of the portrait on the right side of the bill.
Serial numbers are eight digits long and are unique to each bill. They are paired with other identifying letters and numbers that identify the series year the bill is from and where it was printed. Serial numbers are found on the front of U.S. currency and are always printed twice.
Usually, the $50 bill is an uncommon, somewhat unpopular, denomination. There are even multiple superstitions that it is unlucky. (More on that later.) In 2019, only 3.5% of all US bills printed were $50s.
No, you do not have to trade in your old-design notes for new ones. All U.S. currency remains legal tender, regardless of when it was issued.
For information about $100 notes issued from 1914 - 1990, click here. All U.S. currency remains legal tender, regardless of when it was issued.
Unless it has a unique feature, like a low serial number or misprint, a newer $2 bill likely isn't worth much more than $2, even if it's uncirculated.
Visit a Bank: Take the old $100 bill to a local bank branch. Banks typically accept old and worn-out bills, even if some machines might not. They can verify the authenticity of the bill and exchange it for a newer one or deposit the amount into your account.
Where can I change old $100 dollar bills?
Any US bank, and most (but not all) US retailers will accept the older bills.
If a banknote is damaged, wrinkled or dirty, an ATM may reject it and return it to you. In this case, you could try smoothing out the wrinkled banknote and reenter it into the ATM.
The security thread running vertically in the bill is in the incorrect spot. The thread in a genuine $100 bill is to the left of the Franklins portrait. The security thread for the counterfeit $100 bill is to the right of the portrait. The watermark is also incorrect in the counterfeits.
Report suspected counterfeit currency to your local authorities. Law enforcement agencies, banks and cash processors will submit suspected counterfeit currency to the Secret Service through our USDollars website.
There are a couple of key places on your bill to check out, like the year and seal color. Bills that have red, brown, or blue seals printed between 1862 and 1917 could be worth up to $1,000, per IndyStar. And, the older a bill is, the rarer it's usually considered.
