Inside the sexy new $100 bill

Carrying around some big bills? The new C-note has some high-tech features, but the paper is made by Crane & Co., a Dalton, Mass., company that's more than 200 years old.

High tech currency paper

Crane & Co. manufactures currency paper with a number of high-tech features to deter counterfeiters

Crane & Co. is the sole provider of currency paper to the U.S. Treasury, and many other governments around the world. In April the U.S. Treasury announced the new design for the $100 bill. It will include security features like a 3-D ribbon and an image of an inkwell that changes to reveal a Liberty Bell in certain light.

Color-changing security strips

A worker at Crane & Co. points out the security strip on a new $100 bill

Of course, glitches like that can happen when trying innovative techniques. To keep ahead of counterfeiters, Crane & Co. uses a mix of new and old paper-making technology.

Security strips have been in use in U.S. paper currency since 1990. Originally the strips were created to prevent counterfeiters from bleaching lower denomination bills to reprint them with a higher value. The new $100 bill will feature a strip that changes from blue to red in ultraviolet light.

Watermarks, an ancient craft

A roll of currency paper moves between paper making machines at Crane & Co.

The latest techniques used to defend against counterfeiting are rooted in very old craftsmanship.

Watermarks have been in common use since the late 13th century when they were used to mark important documents and stationery. They are created by varying the paper's density during the manufacturing process. The image of Benjamin Franklin is embedded in the new $100 bill.

Source  CNN Money.com