In 1969, the federal government removed the $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 bills, leaving $100 as the highest denomination of currency in circulation. However, the C-note has already been around for more than a century.
The first national banknotes were printed in 1862 to help support the Civil War, and later that year, they became legal money known as greenbacks. The initial run comprised $100 notes with an image of General Winfield Scott.
The government released the first Federal Reserve notes in 1914, including $100 banknotes bearing an image of Benjamin Franklin, the Founding Father whose name has become synonymous with huge money.
They coexisted alongside the previous Treasury notes before becoming the official currency of the United States.
Fast forward nearly 110 years, and certain Benjamins are worth significantly more than a hundred dollars.This particular C-note was one of the first in a series known as gold certificates,
and the name doesn't merely refer to the fact that it was written with black ink on gold-colored paper. The text "One Hundred Dollars in Gold Coin" appears on the back.
Only three copies are known to exist, having been issued in 1863. Two are at the Smithsonian, leaving only one in private hands.
On April 26, 2013, Heritage Auctions sold the rare and highly graded non-Benjamin Benjamin for $2,115,000.