Who Is On The Hundred Dollar Bill? History, Security Features, And 2026 Guide

Benjamin Franklin appears on the front (obverse) of the United States one-hundred-dollar bill, while Philadelphia’s Independence Hall graces the reverse. Franklin has held this position on the nation’s highest-denomination general circulation bill since 1914, representing American ingenuity, diplomacy, and founding statecraft without ever serving as President of the United States.

Circulating worldwide as the primary benchmark for physical sovereign currency, the $100 Federal Reserve note pairs Franklin’s likeness with advanced optical security measures. Managed under the continuous oversight of the Federal Reserve, the United States Secret Service, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), understanding who is featured on the note, why he was chosen, and how to verify legitimate tender remains critical for domestic commerce and international trade in 2026.

Why Benjamin Franklin Is on the $100 Bill

A common point of confusion among currency holders is the assumption that every person featured on United States paper money served as a U.S. President. Benjamin Franklin joins Alexander Hamilton (featured on the $10-dollar bill) as one of only two non-presidents on standard, circulating Federal Reserve notes.

Franklin was selected by the Department of the Treasury due to his singular contributions to the founding, economic foundation, and philosophical identity of the United States.

Key Contributions Securing Franklin’s Place on U.S. Currency

• Signatory of Foundational Charters: Franklin holds the unique distinction of signing four essential documents that established the country: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War (1783), and the United States Constitution (1787).
• Diplomatic Leverage: As the chief American minister to France during the Revolutionary War, Franklin secured the military and financial capital necessary to sustain George Washington’s Continental Army, effectively preventing early economic collapse.
• Early Pioneer of American Printing and Paper Money: Long before the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was founded, Franklin operated his own print shop in Philadelphia. He printed colonial paper currency for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, pioneering early anti-counterfeiting measures such as nature prints (transferring intricate leaf veins onto printing plates).
• Scientific Innovation: Franklin’s contributions to physics, meteorology, oceanography, and electricity established global intellectual respect for the nascent American republic.

Anatomy of the $100 Note: Obverse and Reverse Designs

The current design of the $100 bill belongs to the NexGen redesign program, initially released into circulation in October 2013 and continuing as the standard circulating template in 2026. The imagery on both sides forms a unified narrative honoring Franklin's contributions to American self-governance and liberty.

Obverse: The Franklin Vignette and Related Symbols

The portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the front of the note was engraved by master artist Thomas Hipschen for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It is based on a 1778 oil painting by French artist Joseph Duplessis, commissioned when Franklin was serving as the American ambassador in Paris.

To the right of Franklin’s portrait sit two distinct thematic elements:

1. The Declaration of Independence Excerpt: A faint script in the background displays phrasing from the preamble of the Declaration of Independence: "When in the Course of human events..."
2. The Quill Pen and Inkwell: A copper-colored inkwell features an embedded silhouette of the Liberty Bell. Beside it rests an engraved rendering of the quill pen used to draft and execute the Declaration of Independence.

Reverse: Independence Hall Vignette

The back of the $100 bill displays an engraved view of the south side of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This historic structure was where the Continental Congress debated and signed both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

On the current circulating note, the perspective provides an expanded architectural depiction compared to pre-2013 bills. The clock faces on the main tower display the time 4:10. According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the time has no codified historical significance, contrary to various urban legends, but was simply the visual setting rendered by the original engraver.

Historical Portraits on the American $100 Bill

Benjamin Franklin was not the first individual to appear on high-denomination American currency. Prior to the standardized sizing and portraits codified by the Treasury Department under the Currency Act of 1928, multiple historical figures occupied the face of various $100 bill series.

Technical Specifications and Physical Security Features

The $100 bill is the most frequently counterfeited U.S. denomination outside the borders of the United States, driving the BEP and Federal Reserve to deploy multi-layered forensic features on every genuine bill.

Physical Substrate Specifications

Federal Reserve notes are not standard wood-pulp paper. They are produced on specialized substrate manufactured exclusively by Crane Currency:

• Composition: 75% cotton and 25% linen blend.
• Fiber Reinforcement: Embedded throughout the paper are synthetic red and blue security fibers.
• Dimensions: 6.14 inches wide by 2.61 inches high, with a standard thickness of 0.0043 inches.
• Mass: Approximately 1.0 gram per note.

The Five Primary Security Checks for Rapid Authentication

For business owners, financial operators, and consumers handling cash, the U.S. Secret Service recommends a five-point authentication protocol:

1. The 3D Security Ribbon: Woven directly into the paper to the right of Franklin’s portrait—not printed on the surface—is a blue ribbon containing microscopic lenses. When you tilt the bill up and down, the printed bells change to the numeral "100" and move horizontally (side to side). When tilted side to side, they move vertically (up and down).
2. Color-Shifting Bell in the Inkwell: Within the copper inkwell sits a green Liberty Bell. As the bill is tilted, the bell shifts color from copper-bronze to vibrant green, appearing and disappearing inside the inkwell.
3. Color-Shifting Numeral "100": The large numeral "100" printed in the bottom right corner of the obverse shifts dynamically from copper to emerald green under changing angles of light.
4. Portrait Watermark: Holding the note up to a light source reveals a faint, secondary image of Benjamin Franklin in the blank space to the far right. The watermark is embedded inside the paper pulp during production and is visible from both sides.
5. Embedded Security Thread: When held to the light, a vertical strip embedded within the paper becomes visible to the left of the portrait. It reads "USA 100" alternating vertically and illuminates pink under ultraviolet (UV) light.

Operational Cash-Handling Rule: Counterfeit detector pens that test for starch in wood-pulp paper can produce false positives on real bills or fail against sophisticated counterfeit bills bleached from genuine lower-denomination notes (such as $5 bills reprinted as $100s). Authentic verification must always combine ultraviolet security thread confirmation, watermark validation, and the micro-optic ribbon check.

The $100 Bill in Global Economics and Future Redesigns

As the most widely held paper currency denomination on Earth, the $100 bill serves as a critical store of global value. According to Federal Reserve data, more $100 bills circulate globally than $1 bills, with the majority of all $100 notes residing overseas as an inflation hedge and secure financial reserve.

Federal Reserve Redesign Schedules

The Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence (ACD) Steering Committee—comprising leaders from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing—manages iterative security overhauls across all denominations.

While upcoming redesign programs focus on earlier denominations, including the $10 note, the current NexGen $100 bill design featuring Benjamin Franklin will remain the primary production model into the 2030s. The Treasury has confirmed that all historical series of U.S. currency issued since 1861 remain legal tender at full face value, meaning older, small-head Franklin notes from the 1928–1995 series or 1996 enlarged-portrait series never expire or lose redemption validity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Benjamin Franklin always been on the $100 bill?

No, Benjamin Franklin has not always been on the $100 bill; earlier versions featured leaders like Abraham Lincoln and James Monroe. Franklin was officially designated as the standard portrait subject when large-format Federal Reserve notes debuted in 1914, and he has remained on the denomination through every series redesign since.

Was Benjamin Franklin ever President of the United States?

No, Benjamin Franklin was never President of the United States. He held numerous major political offices—including President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania (comparable to modern-day governor) and the nation’s first Postmaster General—and was chosen for his foundational role in writing the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

What building is on the back of the hundred dollar bill?

Independence Hall, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is on the back of the hundred dollar bill. It was the historic site where both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were formally debated, drafted, and signed.

Why does the clock on Independence Hall read 4:10 on the $100 bill?

The clock hands on the Independence Hall tower read approximately 4:10 simply because of the original source sketch created by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's engravers. Despite persistent internet theories linking the time to historical events, the BEP has stated that the setting has no symbolic or intentional meaning.

Are older hundred dollar bills without the blue ribbon still valid legal tender?

Yes, all older $100 bills, including the Series 1996 and pre-1996 "small portrait" designs, remain fully legal tender in the United States. While commercial banks frequently retire worn notes from active circulation to be replaced by modern NexGen bills, older notes retain their face value indefinitely.

Protect Your Transactions with Proper Authentication

Verifying genuine currency protects both consumers and commercial enterprises from counterfeit exposure. Always rely on the built-in tactile intaglio engraving, the woven 3D security ribbon, and the UV security thread when processing paper currency. To verify suspect notes or confirm operational guidelines for cash processing, refer directly to official technical bulletins published by the United States Currency Education Program and the Federal Reserve Board.