1985 $100 Federal Reserve Note Philadelphia C Vintage Small Head Fr. 2171-C

Authorized under the Federal Reserve Act, the Series 1985 $100 Federal Reserve Note cataloged as Friedberg Fr. 2171-C represents a classic issue of late 20th-century United States small-size paper currency. Produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (District 3, designated by the numeral "3" and regional letter "C"), this note features the historic engraved facsimile signature combination of Katherine Dávalos Ortega, the 38th Treasurer of the United States, alongside James A. Baker III, the 67th Secretary of the Treasury.

The face design centers on the master steel-plate engraved portrait of founding father Benjamin Franklin, set within an ornate oval frame and flanked by the vibrant green Department of the Treasury seal, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank seal, and matching green serial numbers. Obverse typography includes the standard legal tender obligation declaring the note legal tender for all debts, public and private. The reverse features a finely detailed intaglio engraving of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—harmoniously matching the issuing Federal Reserve district—surmounted by the national motto "IN GOD WE TRUST". Issued during the historic "small head" portrait era that preceded the introduction of modern security threads and digital anti-counterfeiting redesigns, this Series 1985 issue remains an enduring type note for collectors of vintage American currency.