| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Value | $100,000 |
| Width | 157 mm |
| Height | 66 mm |
| Years of printing | 1934–1935 (commissioned in 1933) |
| Estimated value | $2,296,932 (1934 to 2023), $2,246,635 (1935 to 2023)[1] |
| Obverse | |
 | |
| Design | A vignette portrait of Woodrow Wilson |
| Design date | 1934 |
| Reverse | |
 | |
| Design | 100,000 centered in front of a US dollar sign, golden rays radiating out of the center, orange in color. |
| Design date | 1934 |
TheUnited States one-hundred-thousand-dollar bill (US$100,000) is a formerdenomination ofUnited States currency issued from 1934 to 1935. The bill, which featuresPresident Woodrow Wilson, was created as alarge denomination note for gold transactions betweenFederal Reserve Banks; it never circulated publicly.[2][3]
The $100,000 bill was created by theBureau of Engraving and Printing under the order ofPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the hoarding of gold during theGreat Depression, believed to beslowing economic regrowth.Executive Order 6102, signed by Roosevelt, was ratified by theUnited States Congress in 1934. Executive Order 6102 prohibited the hoarding of gold certificates, accompanied also bybullion andcoins.[4]
Unlike the other denominations of US dollars, the $100,000 bill was never issued as aFederal Reserve Note (a.k.a. greenback). It was only issued in the form of agold certificate.
About 42,000 of the $100,000 bills were printed. Many were destroyed in the years following their commission, with the remaining few in possession of theUnited States federal government.[5] Possession by private individuals of the $100,000 bill is deemed illegal on account of its large denomination and the regulations declared at its signing.[2][3][6] The bill, outside of the federal government, may only be used for educational purposes, particularly in museums for public viewing.[2] TheSmithsonian Institution along with theFederal Reserve System are known to have one hundred-thousand-dollar bills in their ownership.[2]
The $100,000 bill features avignette portrait ofPresident Woodrow Wilson.[6]George Frederick Cumming Smillie did the engraving for the portrait ofWoodrow Wilson on the obverse of the note.[7]
On the obverse the following words appear: "This is to certify that there is on deposit in the Treasury of" on the upper portion of the note, followed by a cut-off on the lower portion, "the United States of America ... One hundred thousand dollars in gold payable to bearer on demand as authorized by law". "This certificate is legal tender in the amount thereof in payment of all debts and dues public and private" is further incorporated, located atop theTreasury seal. As a gold certificate, the bill exhibits little gold on the obverse: the Treasury seal and two serial numbers. The obverse also includes the words "Washington D.C." in a bolded font. The reverse exhibits orange ink rather than gold, with a large "100,000" in front of a dollar sign. Orange rays extend from the center.[8]
The $100,000 bill is a part of the1934 gold certificate series, comprising also$100,$1,000, and$10,000 notes.[6]
