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Secondary sourceArtifact1934

United States one hundred thousand-dollar bill

1934

A 1934 gold certificate with Wilson's portrait, a high-denomination note used between Federal Reserve Banks that never circulated publicly.

Wilson's portrait on this note honours him as the founder of the Federal Reserve system that issued it.

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Reverse side of a large red and orange United States one hundred thousand dollar bill. Text reads 'The United States of America' above a central '100,000' and 'One Hundred Thousand Dollars' below, with 100,000 in each corner.
United States one hundred thousand dollar bill, 1934, gold certificate. Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

About this source

What it is

This is a United States one hundred thousand dollar bill, a former denomination issued from 1934 to 1935. It features a vignette portrait of President Woodrow Wilson, engraved by George Frederick Cumming Smillie. It was issued only as a gold certificate and was created for gold transactions between Federal Reserve Banks. It never circulated publicly. About 42,000 were printed. The Smithsonian Institution and the Federal Reserve System are known to hold examples.

Why it matters

The note was created by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing under an order from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It responded to the hoarding of gold during the Great Depression, which was believed to be slowing economic recovery. Executive Order 6102 prohibited gold hoarding. The note honours Wilson, who created the Federal Reserve System that issued it.

Look closer

  • Why would a government choose a former president's portrait for its largest note?
  • Why was a bill that never circulated among the public made at all?
  • What does the bill's design tell you about who was meant to use it?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Woodrow Wilson on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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