“What do you call a circle of $100 bills?”/“Aretha Franklins.”

The United States one hundred-dollar bill has American founding father Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790) on the obverse side of the bill. There is a joke:
 
Q: What do you call a circle of US $100 bills?
A: Aretha Franklins (a wreath of Franklins)!
 
An “a wreath of Franklin” joke has been cited since at least 1999. The $100 bill joke has been cited since at least 2004. The “What do you call a circle of $100 bills?” joke was told on reddit on March 25, 2016, the 74th birthday of American singer and musician Aretha Franklin.
 
   
Wikipedia: United States one hundred-dollar bill
The United States one hundred-dollar bill ($100) is a denomination of United States currency featuring statesman, inventor, diplomat and American founding father Benjamin Franklin on the obverse of the bill. On the reverse of the banknote is an image of Independence Hall. The $100 bill is the largest denomination that has been printed since July 13, 1969, when the denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 were retired. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing says the average life of a $100 bill in circulation is 90 months (7.5 years) before it is replaced due to wear and tear.
 
Wikipedia: Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer and musician. Franklin began her career singing gospel at her father, minister C. L. Franklin’s church as a child. In 1960, at the age of 18, Franklin embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records but only achieving modest success. Following her signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as “Respect”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Think”. These hits and more helped her to gain the title The Queen of Soul by the end of the 1960s decade.
             
Google Groups: alt.quotations
Christmas
Frank Lynch
12/6/99
(...)
Annually, I drag out this one…  It works best when you and an unsuspecting person pass a Christmas wreath.  You point out - - “Hey, I think that wreath is based on an original design of Benjamin Franklin’s.” [suitably long pause as you inspect it, then you follow with…] “Yes, it’s a wreath of Franklin.”
 
Google Groups: rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic
OT: Something that occurred to me
Ed Edelenbos
12/24/04
If you were to make a door decoration out of $100 bills, you could call it…
A wreath of Franklins.
 
Twitter 
MrsWood
‏@gradualdazzle
—joke I just heard: When I worked for a bank we made Xmas decorations out of 100 bills. Haven’t you ever seen a wreath of Franklins?
3:09 PM - 12 Nov 2009
 
Twitter
LesterSmith
‏@LesterSmith
The wealthiest 1% now hang holiday wreaths of $100 bills. That’s right: A wreath of Franklins (R-E-S-P-E-C-T!)
6:45 PM - 23 Nov 2011
 
Twitter
Church Curmudgeon
‏@ChrchCurmudgeon
For Christmas, the pastor wants a garland of hundred-dollar bills. It’s called A Wreath of Franklins.
12:52 PM - 30 Nov 2012
 
design-newyork.com
It’s time for charts!
This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 5th, 2013 at 7:32 pm
(...)
It reminds me of a thing I saw one holiday season. It was a circle of Xeroxed $100 bills and pictures of Aretha Franklins. It was a wreath of Franklins. Get it? Ha ha! Holiday puns!
 
Twitter
Mr. Sterling
‏@soundofsterling
What would you call a circle of US $100 bills? Aretha Franklins #badoomtish #badjokes
1:53 PM - 4 Dec 2015
 
reddit
What do you call a circle of $100 bills? (self.Jokes)
submitted March 25, 2016 by juicejug
Aretha Franklins!
(Happy birthday to the Queen of Soul!)