Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia in 1856 to a Presbyterian reverend of Scots-Irish descent. He graduated from Princeton, where his father was a professor, in 1879, then attended law school at the University of Virginia for a year. He did not graduate but easily passed the Georgia bar anyway. Finding little work as an attorney, he entered a Ph.D. program in history and political science at Johns Hopkins University in 1883 and graduated just three years later. He then completed teachings stints at Cornell, Bryn Mawr ($2,000/year), and Wesleyan ($2,500/year) before joining the faculty at Princeton ($3,000/year) in 1890.
In addition to his teaching salary, Wilson in the 1890s earned an average of about $1,500 per year from book royalties (he had penned a political science textbook for D.C. Heath while at Bryn Mawr) and speaking fees. Earning as much as $4,000 extra in one year, however, pushed him to the limit. Wilson was not as frail as he appeared – he played baseball, enjoyed football and even imbibed on occasion – but he did not believe his physical constitution was robust, making the $42,000 he earned from his pot boiler five-volume A History of the American People (Harper, 1902) welcome indeed.
The same year that his magnum opus appeared, Wilson became president of Princeton University, a post that he held, despite creating considerable controversy, until successfully running for governor of New Jersey in 1910. He attributed his success as governor to his experience at Princeton, noting that after academic politics the real thing was easy. Wilson parlayed that success with his Southern roots and political adroitness to win the Democratic party nomination for President in 1912. In a three-way race with President Taft and Theodore Roosevelt, Wilson won less than 42% of the popular vote but 435 electoral votes.
Wilson feared that his presidential salary of $75,000 (over $1 million in 2005 dollars before wartime inflation set in) would prove insufficient, but he ended up saving $250,000 during his two terms in office. He also received $40,000 for the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in 1919 for his efforts that year at the Paris Peace Conference, and $10,000 from a trust fund set up by wealthy friends. Supporters also paid $100,000 toward the $150,000 townhouse on Massachusetts Avenue in the capital where he planned to live, write and practice law after his presidency. The severe stroke he suffered in late 1919, however, dashed those plans. Incapacitated by the stroke, Wilson served out the balance of his presidency with the help of his second wife, Edith, and cabinet. He died in February 1924.
In 1934, Wilson's image appeared on the $100,000, which was legal tender but was never publicly circulated. Instead it was used to transfer funds between Federal Reserve banks.
FAQs
United States one hundred-thousand-dollar bill
| (United States) |
|---|
| Years of printing | 1934–1935 (commissioned in 1933) |
| Estimated value | $2,296,932 (1934 to 2023), $2,246,635 (1935 to 2023) |
| Obverse |
| Design | A vignette portrait of Woodrow Wilson |
9 more rowsThe $100,000 bill is the highest denomination ever issued by the U.S. Federal Government. Printed in 1934, it was not intended for general use, but instead was used as an accounting device between branches of the Federal Reserve. It is illegal for a private individual to own this banknote.
Is the $100 000 gold certificate real? ›
The $100,000 bill, a gold certificate from Series 1934, is the largest denomination banknote ever produced in the United States; it was printed to facilitate transactions between Federal Reserve Banks, and was never issued for usage by the public.
What is the largest bill you can get from a bank? ›
According to the U.S. Department of Treasury website, "The present denominations of our currency in production are $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. The purpose of the United States currency system is to serve the needs of the public and these denominations meet that goal.
Can I get a $500 bill from the bank? ›
American paper currency comes in seven denominations: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. The United States no longer issues bills in larger denominations, such as $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 bills. But they are still legal tender and may still be in circulation.
How much is a $2 bill worth? ›
“On June 25, 1776, the Continental Congress authorized issuance of the $2 denominations in “bills of credit” for the defense of America,” the U.S. Currency Education Program said. Odds are your $2 bill is worth $2, but it doesn't hurt to check. Click here to find the value of your $2 bill.
How many $100,000 bills exist? ›
There were 40,000 $100K notes printed way back in 1934. They were used only for gold transactions between the U.S Treasury and the twelve Federal Reserve Banks. They were never released into general circulation. There are only twelve $100,000 bills in existence today.
What is the largest bill ever printed? ›
The $10,000 bill was the largest denomination ever to be printed for public circulation in the U.S. A collector cannot legally hold a $100,000 bill. Today, a $500 or $1,000 bill may be worth more than its face value as a collector's item.
Are $2 dollar bills rare? ›
Uncommon but not rare
The Federal Reserve reported that in 2022, $2 bills in circulation amounted to $3 billion, a small fraction of the total $54.1 billion currency circulated that year. The note is considered uncommon but not rare.
Are $2 bills still made? ›
Most $2 bills in circulation are worth exactly that: $2. And even though you don't see a lot of $2 bills in everyday life, they are still being printed. The Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) planned to print up to 204 million $2 bills in 2022, CNN reported.
The Gold Reserve Act of 1934 made it illegal for private citizens to hold Gold Certificates. The notes could only be used by Federal Reserve banks and the Treasury as a means to transfer gold deposits between them.
What does $100,000 in cash look like? ›
What does 100k cash look like in person? - Quora. If you're referring to 1000 $100 bills, it's a somewhat significant cubic volume of cash if in one stack. It's about 4 1/2 inches tall, 6 inches long, and 2 1/2 inches wide. It easily fits inside of a typical size shoe box with room for quite a bit more.
What is the rarest dollar bill? ›
23 Rare Bills Worth Up to $3.3 Million That Are Highly Coveted By Collectors
- USA 1934 $10,000 Federal Reserve Note: $480,000. ...
- USA 1931 Low Serial Number $10 Silver Certificate Bill: $500,000. ...
- USA 1891 Red Seal $1,000 Treasury Note: $2.5 million. ...
- USA 1890 Grand Watermelon $1,000 Treasury Note: $3.3 million.
It also includes sheets of America's largest denomination currency, the $100,000 bill, which is said to be worth about $1.6 million today. The gold certificate note, which bears President Woodrow Wilson's portrait, was used only for official transactions between Federal Reserve Banks.
Where can I buy 2 dollar bills? ›
Local banks should have $2 bills. If your bank does not have any current inventory, it can order $2 bills from the Federal Reserve Bank. Where can I purchase uncut sheet of currency? You can purchase uncut currency from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (Off-site).
How many $100000 bills are in existence? ›
There were 40,000 $100K notes printed way back in 1934. They were used only for gold transactions between the U.S Treasury and the twelve Federal Reserve Banks. They were never released into general circulation. There are only twelve $100,000 bills in existence today.
What dollar bill is worth $150,000? ›
Currency collectors in the United States are willing to pay up to $150,000 for rare $1 bills that feature a particular printing error, according to the Wealthy Nickel. Batches of dollar bills printed in 2014 and 2016 slipped into circulation after a misprint by the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing went overlooked.
How much is a $10,000 U.S. bill worth? ›
$10,000 Bill Sells for $480,000. Now That's What You Call Inflation.
How much is a 1 million dollar bill worth? ›
So, is there a million-dollar bill? No, there is no official million-dollar bill in circulation, nor has one ever been commissioned by the Federal Reserve. While some novelty items or fake bills may feature a picture of a million-dollar bill, they hold no value and cannot be used as legal tender.
