Must Read: Google Glass jailbreak: Let the evil commence

Topic: Government

'Smart' $100 bills prepare for late release after paper-feed glitch: Images

Summary: An error with money printing press paper feeds in 2010 cost the government millions of dollars and delayed the debut of $100 bills that contain many innovative, new security features.

Andy Smith

By |

 |  Image 4 of 12

(Image: Moneyfactory.gov)

UV light

Here's how the bill looks under ultraviolet light.

  • Thumbnail 1
  • Thumbnail 2
  • Thumbnail 3
  • Thumbnail 4
  • Thumbnail 5
  • Thumbnail 6
  • Thumbnail 7
  • Thumbnail 8
  • Thumbnail 9
  • Thumbnail 10
  • Thumbnail 11
  • Thumbnail 12

Topics: Government, Printers

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Related Stories

Talkback

25 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • The Federal Reserve does a Windows Vista act...

    No wonder everything's all mess up... even the Fed Reserve is doing things "the Microsoft Way".

    I guess this release (100.0.1) will be a mere service pack and the FR will need a mayor redesign in the next couple of years (100.1).

    Then they will declare that paper money is obsolete and all's for plastic money. The new bill will have a plastic sleeve on top, but will require the user to retrieve the paper equivalent inside, for compatibility sake. Everybody will use the pre 2013 bills. Some poor souls will use Yens or Euros. The rest will switch to Yuans, Rupies, Rubles, Reais or Bitcoins.
    cosuna
    Reply Vote

    • Ashlyn. I see what you mean...

      Ashlyn. I see what you mean... Mario`s bl0g is nice, I just bought Ariel Atom since getting a check for $5484 this - 4 weeks past and-a little over, $10 thousand last-munth. this is certainly the most rewarding I've ever had. I began this 3 months ago and almost straight away started bringing in at least $70 per-hr. , ,, >> http://qr.net/kiS7
      bhaitoqeer
      Reply 1 Vote

    • Wow... Bott's law invoked on the first post.

      Nice job.
      Hallowed are the Ori
      Reply 1 Vote

    • LOL!

      bitcoins! thats it right there. Ur money will be a .dat file LOL! that made me laugh.
      Free Webapps
      Reply Vote

  • In less than a year, China or someone else will have made this money

    And we will be back to square one. It seems the more 'security' we add on to these things, the less secure they actually get.
    Lerianis10
    Reply Vote

    • That's already history!

      Mexico has been using most (if not all) of this features for the past 10-15 years... It even uses a two part map (part on the front side and the other on the backside) that is completed when seen with a backlight.
      Marcelo Galas
      Reply Vote

  • How appropriate...

    The images are courtesy of moneyfactory.gov.

    What an appropriate name.
    Hallowed are the Ori
    Reply Vote

  • Money Security

    Has anyone ever seen a bill being checked with its built in security features? All I ever seen is a quick swipe with a starch-iodine test pen and all that tells you is if the bill or copier paper or not. The features are expensive and if they are not used why have them?
    Bill4
    Reply Vote

    • if only...

      can yo imagine standing in line at the walmart waiting for the cashier to whip out their black light and IR light to check these bills? and then put them in an animation wheel to verify the bells do in fact dance as the spin? :P
      Keithy Huntington
      Reply Vote

      • Wallmart... Really?

        And please explain to me just how often $100 bills are spent at Walmart?
        rhulmer
        Reply Vote

        • Spent at WallyWorld?

          .
          . . . $100.00's are laundered at Walmart.
          .
          LOL!
          fm-usa
          Reply Vote

      • Not a problem...

        Big box stores like Walmart can have their black light and other scanners built into the cash register; just hold the bill an extra second on the way into the cash drawer.

        As for the animation features, you would not need a wheel, just keep an eye on the bill and rock your wrist back and forth with it. The color changes might even be obvious from the natural flopping of the bill as you hold it.

        And yes, even aside from the "laundering" someone else mentioned, some professionals such as truckers do keep all their current expense money in cash, and would get out a hundred to buy a $75 item, for example. And truckers certainly would be likely to shop at Walmart; besides, what applies to Walmart also applies to those truck stop mega-stores just off interstate exits.
        jallan32
        Reply Vote

    • Yes....

      $100 bills get checked all the time, which is why they are the least counterfeited bill. Statistically speaking, $5 and $10 bills are the most counterfeited bill, because no one ever checks them.

      Additionally, with more and more places offering self check out, these security measures that are added can be checked electronically with no extra time being taken. I have also seen Walmart and other places have machines that they insert the bills into that automate the checking process.
      cmwade1977
      Reply Vote

    • Not a waste of time

      We use the security features all the time. Just hold the bill up to the light and check the watermarks and strips. Easy for reatailers.
      Jim__J
      Reply Vote

  • Reminds me of a story...

    A hundred and a single met on the conveyor belt going to the shredder after being turned in as worn out. The single said, "Wow, you must have an exciting life!" The hundred replied, "Yes, I've been to casinos all over the world, fine restaurants, humid tropical drug dealer hideouts, and even a men's room stall in the Minneapolis airport. It's been a good life, and I'm tired and ready to die. Where have you been?" The single replied, "Well, there's Walmart, Target, grocery stores like Publix, a Methodist church, a Baptist church, a Catholic church ..." "Whoa," the hundred interrupted. "What's a church?"
    jallan32
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Most security features are already used elsewhere

    Look at most major currencies like Euro, Rupee etc and their notes contains large number of security features. I was amazed at simplicity (or lack of security features) in USD notes.

    As someone pointed above, what's point of putting so many features where a common man cannot verify it without spending time and money.
    p.vinnie@...
    Reply Vote

  • New version of the 100? Why??

    I don't see a clamoring of counter fitters anxiously awaiting a chance to counterfeit our money. It isn't worth the paper a counterfeiter would use for his "product".
    vegaslarry2000
    Reply Vote

    • You are so right

      "It isn't worth the paper a counterfeiter would use for his "product"."

      I'll make a deal with you, you send me all of your worthless money and I'll send you a ream of the finest paper available at Office Depot. According to you you'll be getting the better of the deal. Me, I'll just have to suffer the indignity of putting the money in my bank.
      boomchuck1
      Reply Vote

    • you don't see them

      there fore they do exist
      frylock
      Reply Vote

      • or don't

        my kingdom for an edit button
        frylock
        Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close