Front of new $100 billBack of new $100 bill

Yesterday, the U.S. Government revealed the next design evolution of the $100 bill, the largest denomination currently in use. This concludes a comprehensive redesign of all bills above $1 in the U.S. which was intended to make counterfeiting more difficult on criminals.

The new $100 bill features all the standard anti-counterfeiting measures we’ve come to expect from the lower bills, while adding two new major features: 3D Security Ribbon and ‘Bell in the Inkwell.’

New $100 bill security features

The security features no doubt make it tougher on criminals to reproduce these bills illegally, although it doesn’t make them any easier on our eyes. The overall redesign of the bills has left U.S. currency with a very unified look and feel that leaves me envious of many other countries’ currency design.

What would it hurt to unify the bills? To properly use typography without stretching type here, or mismatching faces there? To have a look and feel that makes each bill unique and easy to identify at a quick glance even for the visually impaired, while still feeling like a part of a sophisticated overall system?

New $100 bill with all other denominations

The only unification I can see is a disorganized mess of faded colors on tan paper. Look for a moment at the bills, so many elements are just slightly different for no apparent reason. These elements simply look sloppy, like a mistake. The government doesn’t get many chances to do excellent branding. With exception of the American Flag, most government branding consists of small illegible seals and black & white forms. Currency is the ideal place to show off the strength, pride and competency of the government. The ‘greatest country on earth’ should have the greatest currency.

Richard Smith’s recent Dollar Rede$ign project, which we posted last summer, gave us a glimpse of what people wanted to see out of their currency. There are some funny and some beautiful designs. See all the submissions.

At the end of the day, we all just want nice looking money we can be proud of, and of course, nice money to ‘make it rain.’ What do you think about the new bills?

Read all about the new bills at the surprisingly-nice-for-the-government website www.newmoney.gov.

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Ricky Salsberry is an interactive designer working in Chicago and the editor of The Donut Project. In his spare time he reads/rants about technology, watches hockey, wrecks his bike, and designs some more.