Imagine if you had access to this 100,000 dollar bill during the Depression era and used it to buy gold. Today, that gold would be worth ten times its original value! Although earning such an amount of money was very challenging back then.
The United States issued the 100,000 dollar bill as a gold certificate for use by the Federal Reserve in 1934 and 1935. The $100,000 bill was not meant to be used for daily transactions, and it featured President Woodrow Wilson's portrait on its face. This dollar bill was a top-secret instrument that banks alone used to send huge amounts of money fast and securely.
These bills were printed in about 42,000 copies, most of which were later destroyed. Because of its large denomination and related regulations, it is illegal to possess this bill outside of the federal government. It can only be utilized for instructional purposes, like public displays in museums. Some of these bills are owned by illustrious organizations like the Federal Reserve System and the Smithsonian Museum.
Wilson's picture was on the 1934 $100,000 bill, which was legal tender but was never distributed to the general public. Rather, it was employed for money transfers amongst Federal Reserve banks. The Treasury seal and two serial numbers are the only gold features on the bill's obverse, which makes it a gold certificate. The words "Washington D.C." are also present on the obverse in a bold font
The reverse features a big "100,000" in front of a dollar sign, but the ink is orange instead of gold. Rays of orange extend from the center.
The 1934 gold certificate series containing the $100, $1,000, and $10,000 notes also includes the $100,000 bill.
The 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) portrait is depicted on the 100000 dollar bill, leading the country from 1913 to 1921. Prior to taking office as president, Democrat Wilson served as governor of New Jersey and president of Princeton University. Wilson ran on the slogans "America First" and "He kept us out of war" in 1916.
| Currency and Series | Series Year | Featured Portrait | Back Vignette |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100,000 Dollar Bill (Gold Certificate) | 1934 | Woodrow Wilson | The United States of America - 100,000 - One Hundred Thousand Dollars |
How Much Amount of Gold does the $100,000 Dollar Bill Represent from the 1900s Till Today?
| Years | Gold Spot Price | How much gold could be transferred within banks for financial institutions using a $100,000 Dollar Bill? |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | $20.67 | 4837.93 Ounces |
| 1928 | $20.67 | 4837.93 Ounces |
| 1934 | $35.00 | 2857.14 Ounces |
| 1968 | $39.31 | 2543.88 Ounces |
| 2024 (April) | $2300 | 43.48 Ounces |
At a gold spot price of $2300 per ounce in April 2024, these bills would be worth 43.48 ounces of gold if they were still in circulation. Given the substantial increase in the value of gold over time, this represents a significant decrease in the amount of gold you can purchase as compared to the 1900s.
Conclusively, the 100,000 Dollar Bill glorifies a remarkable story in the history of US finances. This bill will make you wonder how the government and officials would always be trying to get economic balance in order to successfully rule the country.
However, the fluctuation in the gold price caused an extremely large disparity between the value of the $100,000 bill in gold introduced for the first time in the 1930s and the present.
It is interesting to note that the value of precious metals, like gold, steadily rises over time, but the value of money stays constant.
If you want to learn more about investing in precious metals, visit our Investment Guide and BOLD Precious Metals Blogs for more informative articles.
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