One Hundred Dollars “Red Seal”
$100.00 · 1966 Series · Benjamin Franklin
Historical Context: The Only $100 Denomination Among Small-Size Legal Tender Notes
TheUnited States Notes(also calledLegal Tender Notesor “greenbacks”) are issued directly by the Treasury since the Civil War, without gold or silver backing, identifiable by their seal and numbering in red ink. When US paper money adopted the “small size” format in 1928, the $100 denomination was not included among theUnited States Notesissued at that time.
It wasn't until the series of1966when the Treasury introduced, for the first and only time, a small-sized red seal $100 bill —under the signatures of Kathryn O’Hay Granahan, Treasurer of the United States, and Henry H. Fowler, Secretary of the Treasury—. Series 1966 was delivered to the Treasury in October–November 1968; Series 1966A, with continuous numbering, arrived in January 1971, shortly before the definitive discontinuation of this type of banknote.
Although they remain legal tender, their unique and relatively brief issue status makes them highly sought after among collectors ofUnited States Notessmall in size.
Obverse and Reverse
Obverse:portrait of Benjamin Franklin at center in black and green ink, with the Treasury seal and serial numbers in red ink, and the inscription“THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE”(This banknote is legal tender for all debts, public and private).
Reverse:engraved vignette of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the building where the Declaration of Independence was signed, together with the motto“IN GOD WE TRUST”.
Signatures
- Kathryn O’Hay Granahan— Treasurer of the United States (Treasurer of the United States), on the left.
- Henry H. Fowler— Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary of the Treasury), on the right.
Print Run: $100 Red Seal, Series 1966
Unlike theFederal Reserve $100 Notes Series 1990, the 1966 Series red stamp note is aUnited States Note(also calledLegal Tender Note): a national issue of the Treasury,not distributed among the twelve Federal Reserve Banks. That's why there's no breakdown from Boston to San Francisco.1
| Issue | Regular | stars | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Treasury — national issue | 768.000 | 128.000 | 896.000 |
Print breakdown
| Type | Serial range | Banknotes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | A 00000001 A–A 00768000 A | 768.000 |
| Star replacements | ★ 00000001 A–★ 00128000 A | 128.000 |
| Total | 896.000 |
The records identify768.000regular banknotes and128.000with a star, delivered to the Treasury inOctober and November 1968. Engraved signatures are Kathryn O’Hay Granahan and Henry H. Fowler.2
Total Print
- Regular tickets: 768,000
- Star replacements: 128,000
- Total banknotes printed:896.000
- Combined face value:$89.600.000
La Ainitial of regular serial numbernohere represents the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The district-letter system applies to Federal Reserve Notes; this red-seal issue was a direct obligation of the United States Government.3
Printing:were produced in total896.000Series 1966 $100 United States Notes with red seals, comprising768.000regular banknotes and128.000star replacements. These were national Treasury issues and were not allocated among the twelve Federal Reserve Banks.
Important:This total covers only theSeries 1966. Does not include the Series1966A, from which the following were printed512.000regular notes and no stars (deliveries to the Treasury in January 1971). Both series add1.408.000banknotes.4
Legacy for Collectors
Being the only $100 denomination ever issued asUnited States NoteSmall in size, this banknote occupies a unique place within the red seal series, appreciated by collectors both for its relative rarity and for closing, in a certain way, the history of theLegal Tender NotesAmericans before its final discontinuation.
Sources
- 1. USPaperMoney.info — U.S. currency types (United States Notes vs. Federal Reserve Notes):uspapermoney.info (new window)(opens in a new tab)
- 2. USPaperMoney.info — Series 1966 $100: BEP deliveries, October–November 1968, and ranges A 00000001 A–A 00768000 A / ★ 00000001 A–★ 00128000 A:uspapermoney.info (new window)(opens in a new tab)
- 3. Bureau of Engraving and Printing — serial numbers:bep.gov (new window)(opens in a new tab)
- 4. USPaperMoney.info — Series 1966A $100 (512,000 regular banknotes, no star notes) and $100 summary:uspapermoney.info (new window)(opens in a new tab); uspapermoney.info (new window)(opens in a new tab)
- Friedberg, Arthur L. & Ira S.Paper Money of the United States.
- Heritage Auctions —ha.com (new window)(opens in a new tab)
- Numista —numista.com (new window)(opens in a new tab)