New $100 Bill Went Into Circulation Tuesday—And Reports of Fake C-Notes Followed Soon After

By Joseph M. Gerace and Jayne Keedle

Ben Franklin's back and he's got a brand new look—but the fact that few people know what the new note looks like seems to be posing a few problems. 

The Federal Reserve Board Tuesday began circulating a redesigned $100 note, "which incorporates new security features such as a blue, 3-D security ribbon, will be easier for the public to authenticate but more difficult for counterfeiters to replicate," according to a release from the treasury.

Ironically, reports that fake c-notes were being circulated came almost instantly. In the wee hours Wednesday morning, Waterford Police Department received two reports of a man attempting to pass suspected counterfeit bills at Michaals Hess and Sams Mart, both located on Route 1 in Waterford. 

Whether the bills were actually fake or just freshly-minted notes is unclear at this point. Police are investigating the matter and one store refused to accept the bill at all. That so few people are familiar with the new currency may make it the ideal time to attempt to pass off a fake, but here's why the Feds say the new note should be even harder to counterfeit. 

The new bill will include raised printing, a color-changing bell atop an inkwell, and a newly designed watermark of Franklin's face on the right front of the note.

The design was unveiled three years ago, but its introduction was postponed following a production delay.