Because I was a U.S. president-obsessed nerdy child, my geeky interest naturally translated to American currency as well. Presidents were on money so what wasn’t there to like? Oh yeah, the very practical use of money wasn’t lost on me either.

Thus, you probably aren’t surprised that I took a big interest to updates in currency. Introduction of state quarters, new faces on dollar coins, and anything dealing with $2 bills all caught my attention. Something else also greatly intrigued me…

On this date 29 years ago, the new $100 bills were made available to the American public. Not tweaked since the 1920s, the fresh notes that entered circulation on March 25, 1996, packed major change. The one-dimensional “Benjamin” received a major facelift as the portrait of the bill became much more detailed and larger. In 2013, Ben Franklin would outgrow his oval-shaped frame altogether, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves—I am just focused on the 1996 changes today.

Sloan holding one of the most current $100 bills.

Besides the portrait upgrade, the signature feature of the new bill was the prominent security feature—the watermark! Applied so retailers could hold it up to the light to view for authenticity, that was the very first thing my 10-year-old-self did when I first got my hands on a new $100 bill.

Checking for the watermark is also the first thing my 8-year-old does if she ever comes into contact with a $100 bill.

Which probably makes you wonder, how did I in fact find myself in possession of a C-note? Well, my grandpa never owned a debit card or credit card in his life. To put in Randy Moss terms, he was straight cash, homie. Because of this, he always had cash in his wallet…including big bills. My siblings and I thought he was a millionaire because he always had $100 bills in his wallet. Not only did he have them, but he also generously dispersed them. My first new $100 bill came from my grandpa and I treasured it…

…until my mom took it from me and put it in the bank.

It took more than 70 years for the $100 bill to be tweaked in 1996 but it only took less than 20 years for additional changes in 2013. In addition to even more prominence of Benjamin Franklin’s likeness on the bill, a mix of different colors were splattered across it. But again, that’s not the topic of today.

Are you old enough to remember when the new $100 bill debuted in 1996? Does your supermarket checker still make you feel like a thief by taking 30 seconds to closely inspect the $100 bill you hoped to pay your groceries with? Or, like me, do you just wish you had more of them (old version, 1996 version, or 2013 version be damned)? Don’t Blink.