These $100 Bills Are Worth Way More Than a Standard Benjamin

Andrew Lisa   Mon, Jun 19, 2023 

In 1969, the federal government retired the $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills, leaving $100 as the largest denomination of currency in circulation. However, the C-note had more than a century of history under its belt before that.

The first national banknotes were issued in 1862 as part of a Civil War funding effort, and later that year, they became legal tender known as greenbacks. That initial run included $100 notes featuring a portrait of Gen. Winfield Scott.

In 1914, the government issued the first Federal Reserve notes, including $100 bills emblazoned with a portrait of the Founding Father whose name is now synonymous with big bucks — Benjamin Franklin. They coexisted with the previous Treasury notes to become the official currency of the United States.

Fast-forward nearly 110 years, and some Benjamins are worth a whole lot more than a hundred bucks.

1863 $100 Gold Certificate     $2.12 million

This special C-note was among the first in a series known as gold certificates — and they’re not just called that because they were printed with black ink on gold-tinted paper. The phrase “One Hundred Dollars in Gold Coin” appears on the back.

Originally issued in 1863, there are only three known examples in inexistence. Two are in the Smithsonian, which leaves just one in private hands.

On April 26, 2013, the unique and highly graded non-Benjamin Benjamin sold for $2,115,000 at a Heritage Auctions sale.

1882 $100 Gold Certificate   $822,500

Also part of the gold certificate series, an 1882 example featuring a portrait of Thomas Hart Benton became one of the most expensive historical currency notes when it fetched $253,000 at auction in 1998. On Jan. 10, 2014, it commanded more than three times that amount at Heritage Auctions.

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