Hard-to-copy $100 bills debut in US

The US Federal Reserve Board says consumers from today will start to encounter the new $100 bill with stronger anti-counterfeit features.

The bill incorporates new security features such as a blue, 3D security ribbon, which will be easier for the public to authenticate but more difficult for counterfeiters to replicate, says the FRB.

The new ribbon is woven into the paper of the note and features bell design and 100 number that move from side to side if the note is tilted up and down, and vice versa.

A bell and inkwell design has also been added to the note alongside the serial number which uses a colour-changing ink to make it appear that the bell disappears and re-appears within the inkwell.

Meanwhile, other security features include watermarking, security threads, colour-shifting ink on the 100 located on the lower right corner of the front of the note, a large gold 100 on the rear, as well as microprinting and raised printing. An infographic demonstrating the new features can be accessed here.

The new design for the $100 note was unveiled in 2010, but its introduction was postponed following an unexpected production delay. 

"Beginning on October 8, any financial institution that orders $100s from the Federal Reserve will receive the new design," said Sonja Danburg, manager of the US Currency Education programme.

However, "the time it takes a note to journey from there to businesses and consumers is influenced by distance, demand, and the policies of individual financial institutions," she noted.