1996 Series U.S. Currency The United States will issue currency with new security features beginning with the $100 Federal Reserve notes in early 1996. These enhancements make U.S. currency easier to recognize as genuine and more secure against advancing technologies which could be used for counterfeiting. This currency will be introduced one denomination at a time. Following the $100 bill, lower denominations ($50, $20, $10, etc.) will be issued at the rate of about one denomination per year. There will be no recall and no devaluation of any U.S. currency. The notes incorporate both familiar and new features, while remaining recognizably American. A SMOOTH TRANSITION All U.S. currency will continue to be honored at full face value. There will be no recall or devaluation of any U.S. notes. As the new currency is phased in, the old notes will be retired by the Federal Reserve when they are returned by financial institutions. This means that there is no time limit or requirement for exchanging old notes for new notes. FAMILIAR FEATURES Many elements of the currency remain the same, including: * Size of the bill * Ink colors -- black on the front and green on the back * Paper -- cotton and linen with red and blue fibers * Texture of the paper * Historical figures and back illustrations -- with slight alterations * Motto -- "In God We Trust" NEW FEATURES A number of new security features have been incorporated into the new design. The security thread runs vertically just to the left of the portrait; the watermark is to the right of the Treasury Department's seal; color shifting ink appears on the lower-right "100." [Image of new currency] * Larger, Off-Center Portrait * Watermark Portrait * Color Shifting Ink * Concentric Fine-Line Printing * Microprinting * Security Thread * Serial Numbers * Federal Reserve Seal Image of the back side of the new $100 bill [IMAGE] _________________________________________________________________ Return to: |Woodrow Home Page| |About the Federal Reserve| |Our Money Menu|