$100,000 United States Banknote Featuring President Woodrow Wilson

Unless you're an avid coin and currency collector, you may be amazed to find out that from 1934-1935 the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing produced a gold certificate $100,000 bill! What were they thinking, you ask? That's crazy and impractical for one piece of paper to be worth $100,000! You're right. Actually the bill was never put into circulation for public use. Its sole purpose was for use between Federal Reserve Banks only. The bills have not been in any kind of circulation since 1960. Our 28th president, Woodrow Wilson was selected as the president to adorn the bill. The majority of the (42,000) printed bills were collected and destroyed by the mint with only a few lucky survivors. Unfortunately for wealthy collectors, even the surviving bills have been accounted for and secured by the US government. FYI: It is actually illegal for a private citizen to be in possession of a genuine $100,000 bill! Not surprisingly, forgeries are out there - some even being offered with certificates of authenticity! So, as always, "caveat emptor" (buyer beware)! Several institutions like the Smithsonian and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing offer real examples of the bill for public viewing.