New Hundred Dollar Bill Rolls Out, Could Be Worth A Lot More

The new hundred dollar bill is about to go into circulation, and the first prints may be worth a lot more than just a hundred dollars. According to collectors who were around to grab the last new batch, the first few of these notes will be worth upwards of $20,000 in uncirculated condition.

The reason they could be so valuable is because of the resetting of the serial number all the way back to one. Collectors will pay top dollar for a brand new hundred dollar bill with a serial number indicating it’s one of the first ten printed.

Frederick Bart, a dealer of rare currency, said of the collectible value of the first few new notes, “Early on, they’ll have the highest demand and highest premium. I would anticipate that the first number ones to reach the market will be $7,500 to $10,000. The lowest eight-digit serial numbers — 00000001, 00000002 and so on — will fetch the highest prices.”

What makes the new hundred dollar bills different from the ones we have now? New technology was involved in printing them.

The new notes will have a disappearing Liberty Bell in an ink well and a 3D security ribbon with images that move opposite of the way the bill is tilted. Also, the signature on the notes will now be that of Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, replacing that of Timothy Geithner.

The primary reasoning for the higher technology involved should be obvious. These features make it harder to counterfeit, as printers most likely won’t have the capability to reproduce these security features.

Larry Felix, the director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, says the 3D security ribbon on the new hundred dollar note is incredibly complex, made up of hundreds of thousands of micro-lenses. The hundred dollar bill is the last in the series of new bills to be reproduced with this technology, starting in 2003 with the 20-dollar bill.

Will you be on the lookout for the new hundred dollar bills going into circulation on October 8, 2013?

[image via debate.org]