Above: The design of the new $100 bill, which will be released into general circulation Feb. 10, 2011. The bill features many familiar security features, such as the security thread, and incorporates two new anti-counterfeit measures–the bell in the inkwell and the 3-D security ribbon.

The U.S. government kicked off its new currency educational campaign in anticipation of the Feb. 10, 2011, release of the new $100 bill.

The government hopes to familiarize the public with the redesigned note before it goes into circulation in order to reduce fraud and potential confusion. Currently, about 6.5 billion $100 notes are in circulation, and the Federal Reserve Board estimates that two-thirds of those circulate outside the United States.

“When the new design $100 note is issued on Feb. 10, 2011, the approximately 6.5 billion older design $100s already in circulation will remain legal tender,” said Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. “U.S. currency users should know they will not have to trade in their older-design $100 notes when the new ones begin circulating.”

The education campaign is composed of a host of tools to increase awareness of the new $100 note.

• Video series — Six brief podcasts available at www.newmoney.gov will cover topics including how to spot a counterfeit bill, how notes are designed and how new notes enter the money stream. The episodes feature speakers from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Federal Reserve Board and the U.S. Secret Service.

• Training sessions — The Federal Reserve Board and U.S. Secret Service will conduct in-person seminars about the bill's security features and design. Visit www.newmoney.gov for a regularly updated list of dates and locations.

• Training materials — In order to familiarize the retail industry with the new currency, cash handler materials can be downloaded for free from www.newmoney.gov. The materials are available in 25 languages.

• eNewsletters — Anyone can sign up at www.newmoney.gov to receive periodic newsletters via email about news and information regarding the bill's upcoming release.

• Social media updates — Details about the bill also can be found on social media pages on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.

New security features on the front of the new bill include the 3-D security ribbon and the bell in the inkwell. This is the first time these features have been used on a U.S. banknote. The 3-D security ribbon features images of bells and 100s that move and alternate as the note is tilted. The bell in the inkwell changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, which makes the bell seem to disappear within the inkwell.

The bill also utilizes several familiar security features, such as the portrait watermark of Benjamin Franklin, the security thread that runs down the center of the bill and the color-shifting 100 found along the edge.