WASHINGTON — The government said Monday that it will need to check more than 1 billion new $100 bills because of production problems that have left unwanted creases in many of the notes.
Officials of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing said they are examining 1.1 billion of the new bills to determine how much of the currency will have to be destroyed.
The currency originally was scheduled to go into circulation Feb. 10. The bills have been redesigned with sophisticated elements aimed at thwarting counterfeiters. Those include a disappearing Liberty Bell in an inkwell and a bright blue security ribbon composed of thousands of tiny lenses.
Anderson said that until the production problems are resolved, the bureau will continue to use the previous $100 bill design, which is considered to still be effective against counterfeiters.
The Associated Press
