# Why is Ben Franklin on the $100 bill when he wasn't a President? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2002, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498 "2002-10-02T03:44:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/21 "2002-10-03T15:15:05Z")
"If you could make a change in the people appearing on currency and/or coins, what change would you make? " Give them a hair cut. ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/22 "2002-10-03T15:50:37Z")
**Cholo** , Susan B. Anthony worked for decades to enfranchise American citizens. She fought to correct major societal injustices (her views on race and class notwithstanding). Anthony is a worthy American hero, and her inclusion on currency can’t just be dismissed as “political correctness.” ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/23 "2002-10-03T16:29:37Z")
I’m surprised that nobody’s mentioned the one requirement for appearing on currency, or postage stamps – you have to be dead. (I think this is more tradition than law.) In fact, “dead presidents” is a common slang term for moolah. I remember a bank robbery movie called **Dead Presidents** , which I knew was going to suck when the opening credits appeared over a close-up of the $100 bill – with Ben Franklin on the face, who obviously was never President. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/24 "2002-10-03T16:46:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ScoobyTX \* > \*\* > The $10,000 bill is still legal tender, but it has been withdrawn from circulation. If a bank comes across anything over a $100 bill, it gets sent on to the Fed to be taken care of (destroyed?). I’m sure it will also get a lot of attention. \*\* Hint: If you should happen to work for a bank and receive a $10,000 bill, it would be worth your while to take out a loan and buy it at face value from the bank. [Here on eBay](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1385837401) is a nice picture of a $10K up for auction. As I write this, there have been 10 bids, the price is over $31,000 and the reserve has not yet been met Some years back I knew a local bank manager who had done this with a $500 bill and nearly doubled his money. ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/25 "2002-10-03T19:24:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*"If you could make a change in the people appearing on currency and/or coins, what change would you make? " > > Give them a hair cut. \*\* Well, the US Treasury Dept. DID give them all facelifts and hair plugs on the new bills. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/26 "2002-10-03T19:41:20Z")
Then there are those indian fellows on the pennies and nickels… ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/27 "2002-10-03T23:00:26Z")
I think the reason Sacagawea was chosen for the coin was because of the Information Age. She is commonly considered the first Search Injun. (I’ll duck from the tomatoes now.) ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/28 "2002-10-03T23:59:02Z")
Ewwwww, that’s _baaaad_. Is there a General Question on the table here? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/29 "2002-10-04T01:59:15Z")
Doubt it. I’d throw it to MPSIMS if I wuz you. {obligatory Firesign Theater quote follows, in a deep voice} **Benjamin Franklin** …the only President of the United States…who was _never_…President of the United States… ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498/30 "2002-10-04T03:17:20Z")
For all those Dopers who have been to Vegas and seen the Million Dollar Display of $10,000. banknotes. Guess what! It ain’[t there any more. It got sold. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ben-franklin-on-the-100-bill-when-he-wasnt-a-president/130498.md?page=1)