One Hundred Dollars — Cleveland
$100.00 · 1990's · Benjamin Franklin Series
Historical Context: the First Banknote with Security Thread and Microprinting
The 1990 series marks a turning point in the history of US paper currency: it was the first to incorporate a polyester security thread and micro-printing, two measures introduced to counter the growing threat of counterfeiting using advanced photocopiers and printers. These two innovations first appeared on the $100 bill in this series, before being extended around 1993 to all other denominations except the $1 and $2.1,2
The security thread is a vertical polyester band embedded in the paper, with the text “USA 100” printed, located to the left of the Federal Reserve seal; Under ultraviolet light, it fluoresces in a different color for each denomination (pink in the case of the $100 bill).3The microprint, for its part, surrounds the portrait of Franklin with the text “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” in such a small size that it appears as a simple solid line to the naked eye, and is only legible with magnification —a practically insurmountable barrier for the photocopiers of the time.4
Treasury Secretary Nicholas F. Brady personally introduced these new security measures at a 1991 press conference, holding an enlarged mock-up of the 1990 series $100 bill.5The design remained in effect until the arrival of the 1996 series, which introduced the enlarged, off-center portrait, watermark, and color-changing ink —, the most significant redesign of the $100 bill since 1929.6
Obverse and Reverse
Obverse:portrait of Benjamin Franklin at center, with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland seal at left (letter “D”, fourth district) and the Treasury seal in green ink at right. The security thread and microprinted “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” surround the portrait.
Reverse:engraved vignette of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, together with the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST”, in the same design inherited from the Series of 1928.
Signatures
- Catalina Vasquez Villalpando— Treasurer of the United States (Treasurer of the United States), on the left.
- Nicholas F. Brady— Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary of the Treasury), on the right.
Print Run of Series 1990 $100 (original)
The following figures cover only theOriginal Series 1990and combine regular notes plus star replacements (star notes), in the same bank-by-bank format used for theSeries 1934 $10.
| District | Federal Reserve Bank | Printed banknotes |
|---|---|---|
| A | Boston | 76.800.000 |
| B | New York | 599.936.000 |
| C | Philadelphia | 113.280.000 |
| D | Cleveland | 115.200.000 |
| E | Richmond | 108.800.000 |
| F | Atlanta | 64.000.000 |
| G | Chicago | 135.040.000 |
| H | St. Louis | 121.600.000 |
| I | Minneapolis | 48.000.000 |
| J | Kansas City | 79.488.000 |
| K | Dallas | 81.920.000 |
| L | San Francisco | 150.400.000 |
| Total (12 banks) | 1.694.464.000 |
The letters A–L identify the twelve Federal Reserve Banks.7Production records report1.680.000.000regular banknotes and14.464.000star replacements; together they produce the totals by bank and the table's grand total.8Cleveland (district D), to which the copy of this sheet belongs, appears with 115,200,000 bills (all regular, without stars).
Total Print
- Regular tickets: 1,680,000,000
- Star replacements: 14,464,000
- Total banknotes printed:1.694.464.000
- Combined face value:$169.446.400.000
The Series 1990 $100 bills were physically printed betweenMay 1991 and October 1994, all at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's facility in Washington, D.C.8
Printing:were produced in total1.694.464.000$100 Federal Reserve Notes of the Series 1990 for the twelve Federal Reserve Banks, composed of1.680.000.000regular banknotes and14.464.000star replacements.
Notes
1. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, “History of United States Currency”,bep.gov: “With series 1990, a security thread and microprinting were added… The features first appear in series 1990 $100 notes. By series 1993, the features appeared… in all denominations except $1 and $2 notes.”
2. PCGS, “When Were Security Strips First Placed in United States Banknotes?”,pcgs.com: “Series 1990 United States banknotes of denominations $5 and higher were the first to carry microprinting and include a plastic strip…”
3. Wikipedia, “Federal Reserve Note”: “the U.S. government has included in all $5 and higher denominated notes since the 1990 series a security thread… Under ultraviolet light, the security thread fluoresces a different color for each denomination… $100 note: pink.”
4. PBS NOVA, “Anatomy of a $100 Bill”,pbs.org: “The introduction of microprinting in 1990 began with the addition of the words ‘The United States of America’ printed around the edge of the portraits.”
5. Coin World, “Officials respond to counterfeiting with wave of design changes”: A 1991 photograph of Treasury Secretary Nicholas F. Brady presenting a mockup of the 1990 series $100 bill with the new security measures.
6. Wikipedia, “United States one-hundred-dollar bill”: “March 25, 1996: The first major design change of the $100 note since 1929 took place…”
7. Federal Reserve System — the twelve Federal Reserve Banks (letters A–L):federalreserve.gov (new window)(opens in a new tab)
8. USPaperMoney.info — Series 1990 $100: Monthly Production Stats (May 1991–october 1994, Washington, D.C.) and Regular/Star Totals by District:uspapermoney.info (new window)(opens in a new tab)