The origin of the slang term “C note” for a hundred dollar bill is because the Roman numeral for one hundred is C. The letter C appeared on $100 bills as well.
During the 1920s and 1930s, as well as in various gangster films, the phrase was commonly used. The C note may also relate to the century, as a century is 100 years. Due to the presence of Benjamin Franklin’s image on the $100 bill, the term “Benjamin” has replaced “C note” as the most frequent term for a $100 bill as of 2014.
