The 100 dollar bill features Benjamin Franklin on its front, making him the only individual currently on United States paper currency who never served as a U.S. president. This choice reflects his foundational role as a statesman, diplomat, and scientist who helped shape the early republic long before the executive branch was even established.
Understanding why Franklin graces the nation's highest widely circulated denomination requires looking past standard political histories into the mechanics of early American finance, international diplomacy, and the artistic evolution of federal banknotes.
Why Benjamin Franklin Is on the $100 Bill
While most circulating U.S. paper money honors former presidents or Treasury secretaries—such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Hamilton—Franklin occupies a singular category. He signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, drafted the Albany Plan of Union, and served as the first Postmaster General under the Continental Congress.
Beyond politics, Franklin's international prestige during the American Revolution was critical. As the U.S. Minister to France, he secured vital military and financial support from King Louis XVI, without which the Continental Army couldn't have sustained operations against Great Britain.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury notes that currency portrait selections historically favored foundational figures whose contributions stabilized public trust. Choosing Franklin signaled that intellect, scientific inquiry, and diplomacy were just as vital to the American experiment as military or executive leadership.
The Origin of the Portrait
The iconic portrait of Benjamin Franklin used on modern paper currency isn't a painting created from life. Instead, it derives from a pastel portrait drawn by the French artist Joseph-Siffred Duplessis in 1778 while Franklin resided in Paris as a diplomat.
Duplessis captured Franklin during the height of his European popularity, portraying him with sharp gaze, long gray hair, and civilian attire rather than formal state robes. This distinction mattered; Franklin deliberately cultivated a homespun American persona in France, wearing a plain brown coat and a fur cap to project republican simplicity against European opulence.
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery houses significant historical documentation on these early European depictions, which served as the template for numerous engravings used by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in subsequent decades.
Evolution and Redesign of the $100 Note
The $100 bill hasn't always looked the way it does today. Early iterations featured varying historical vignettes, allegorical figures representing liberty or commerce, and fluctuating portrait placements.
- 1914: The Federal Reserve issued its first $100 note featuring Franklin.
- 1928: The physical size of all U.S. currency was reduced by about thirty percent to lower paper production costs, standardizing the modern portrait layout.
- 1990: To combat rising threats from color copiers and emerging printing tech, microprinting and security threads were introduced.
- 2013: A massive redesign rolled out, introducing the 3D security ribbon, color-shifting ink, and the subtle watermark portrait of Franklin to the right of the main engraving.
The 2013 overhaul represented the most complex technological security upgrade in the history of U.S. currency manufacturing, handled by the Federal Reserve Board.
Modern Security Features
Counterfeiting remains a constant challenge for global reserve currencies. Because the $100 bill is the most widely circulated U.S. denomination outside domestic borders, it incorporates multi-layered security engineering.
The 3D security ribbon woven into the paper features blue micro-optics that shift between bells and the number 100 as the note tilts back and forth. Next to the portrait, a copper-colored inkwell holds a bell that changes color from copper to green, creating an optical illusion of movement. Furthermore, fine microprinting appears within Franklin's collar and along the golden number 100, remaining legible only under magnification.
Global Circulation and Economic Impact
Statistically, the $100 bill accounts for the largest share of total U.S. currency in circulation, with the vast majority held overseas as a store of value. International markets trust the note because its design standards, anti-counterfeiting measures, and historical stability remain unmatched.
When hyperinflation or economic instability strikes developing regions, individuals frequently rely on physical U.S. Benjamins to preserve purchasing power, demonstrating how a portrait from the eighteenth century continues to anchor twenty-first-century global commerce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Benjamin Franklin ever serve as U.S. President?
No. Franklin never served as president. He was a printer, scientist, inventor, philosopher, and diplomat, but the office of the presidency wasn't established until after the Constitutional Convention of 1787, near the end of his public career.
Who is on the back of the $100 bill?
The reverse side of the $100 bill features Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and signed.
Why is the $100 bill nicknamed a "Benjamin" or a "C-note"?
"Benjamin" refers directly to Benjamin Franklin's portrait. "C-note" comes from the Roman numeral C, which represents the number 100.
Are older versions of the $100 bill still legal tender?
Yes. All U.S. currency issued since 1914 remains legal tender at its face value, regardless of its age or design series, though banks typically route older worn notes back to the Federal Reserve for retirement.
