The New 100$ Bill
The US Dollar is such an important currency worldwide that it’s design and look has the extra responsibility of not only being functional, but also representing the USA. Dollar bills so far have looked outdated, so it’s surprising that the current design was done in 2003.
This redesign was billed as a routine update and it’s clear from comparing the previous and current versions, that more emphasis was placed on security considerations than on visual design. It’s a shame that this project has not been approached more holistically, as the new design looks more like somebody took an old bill and accidentally printed something else on top. The big yellow 100 on the back with it’s awkardly shaped white background is one of the many things that just don’t work.
Let’s hope that The Treasury Department will learn something from the “Dollar Redesign Project”, an effort to crowd-source new designs for the US currency that has already produced much better results than this.
