Take out a U.S. one-dollar bill, and look at it. The one-dollar bill you'relooking at first came off the presses in 1957 in its present design.
The currency paper you are holding is composed of 25% linen and 75% cotton. Red andblue synthetic fibers of various lengths are distributed evenlythroughout the paper. Prior to World War I the fibers were made ofsilk.
On the front of the note, the United StatesTreasury Seal is located on the right side in the text "ONE".On the top of the seal, you see the scales for a balanced budget. Inthe center, you have a carpenter's square, a tool used for an evencut. Underneath is the Key to the United States Treasury.
Turn the bill over and you see two circles. Bothcircles, together, comprise the Great Seal of the United States.The face (obverse) of the Great Seal first appeared on the back ofthe $20 Gold Certificate, Series 1905. In 1935, both the face andback (reverse) of the seal appeared for the first time on papermoney on $1 Silver Certificates.
Mandated by the First Continental Congress in 1776, the GreatSeal took many years of work by multiple individuals and committeesbefore final adoption in 1782. The Department of State is theofficial keeper of the seal. A description and explanation of boththe obverse and reverse of the seal comes from the Department ofState pamphlet The Great Seal of the United States (September1996)
Obverse Side of the Great Seal
The most prominent feature is theAmerican bald eagle supporting the shield, or escutcheon, which iscomposed of 13 red and white stripes, representing the originalStates, and a blue top which unites the shield and representsCongress. The motto E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one), alludes tothis union. The olive branch and 13 arrows denote the power of peaceand war, which is exclusively vested in Congress. The constellationof stars denotes a new State taking its place and rank among othersovereign powers.
Reverse Side of the Great Seal
The pyramid signifies strength andduration: The eye over it and the motto Annuit Coeptis (He [God] hasfavored our undertakings) allude to the many interventions ofProvidence in favor of the American cause. The date underneath isthat of the Declaration of Independence and the words under it,Novus Ordo Seclorum (A new order of the ages), signify the beginningof the new American era in 1776.
In God We Trust
The use of the national motto on both U.S. coins and currency notesis required by two statutes, 31 U.S.C. 5112(d) (1) and 5114(b),respectively. The motto was not adopted for use on U.S. papercurrency until 1957. It first appeared on some 1935G Series $1Silver Certificates, but didn't appear on U.S. Federal Reserve Notesuntil the Series 1963 currency. This use of the national motto hasbeen challenged in court many times over the years that it has beenin use, and has been consistently upheld by the various courts ofthis country, including the U.S. Supreme Court.The Department of the Treasury and the Department of Justice intendto actively defend against challenges to the use of the nationalmotto. In 1992, a challenge was filed and successfully defeated inthe U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
Facts About the $1 Notes
* George Washington (1732-1799) was:
- Member of the First and Second Continental Congresses (1774-1775)
- Commander-in-Chief of the American Revolutionary Army (1775-1783)
- President of the Constitutional Convention (1787)
- First President of the United States (1789-1797)
* The first $1 notes (called United States Notes or Legal Tender)were issued by the Federal Government in 1862 and featured aportrait of Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase (1861-1864).
* The first use George Washington's portrait on $1 notes was onSeries 1869 United States Notes.
* Martha Washington is the only woman whose portrait has appeared ona U.S. currency note. It appeared on the face of the $1 SilverCertificate of 1886 and 1891, and the back of the $1 SilverCertificate of 1896.
* The first $1 Federal Reserve Notes were issued in 1963. Thedesign, featuring George Washington on the face and the Great Sealon the back, has not changed.
Other Interesting Facts About U.S. Notes
*The front of the bills feature portraits of famous, deceasedAmerican statesmen:
- George Washington on the $1
- Thomas Jefferson onthe $2
- Abraham Lincoln on the $5
- Alexander Hamilton on the $10
-Andrew Jackson on the $20
- Ulysses Grant on the $50
- BenjaminFranklin on the $100
*The backs of the bills feature images reflective of the history ofour nation:
-The Great Seal of the United States on the $1.
-The signing of the Declaration of Independence on the $2
-The Lincoln Memorial on the $5
-The Treasury Building on the $10
-The White House on the $20
-The Capitol on the $50
-The Independence Hall on the $100
* Notes of higher denominations, while no longerproduced feature:
- William McKinley on the $500
- Grover Cleveland onthe $1000
- James Madison on the $5000
- Salmon Chase on the $10,000
* The 100 dollar note has been the largest denomination ofcurrency in circulation since 1969.
* The largest note ever printed by the Bureau of Engraving andPrinting was the $100,000 Gold Certificate, Series 1934. These noteswere printed from December 18, 1934 through January 9, 1935 and wereissued by the Treasurer of the United States to Federal ReserveBanks only against an equal amount of gold bullion held by theTreasury. These notes were used for transactions between FRBs andwere not circulated among the general public.
* The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces 35 million notes aday with a face value of approximately $635 million.
* 95% of the notes printed each year are used to replace notesalready in circulation. 45% of the notes printed are $1 notes.
* The first paper currency issued by the U.S. Department of theTreasury were Demand Notes Series 1861.
* The approximate weight of a currency note, regardless ofdenomination is (1) one gram. There are 454 grams in one (1) U.S.pound, therefore, there should be 454 notes in (1) onepound (Avoirdupois system). If the troy system were used, there are(12) twelve ounces in (1) one pound; therefore, if one note weighsapproximately (1) one gram, then (1) troy pound containsapproximately 375 notes.
* Our present sized currency measures 2.61 inches wide by 6.14inches long, and the thickness is .0043 inches. If each currencynote printed was laid end to end, they would stretch around theearth's equator approximately 24 times. Larger sized notes incirculation before 1929 measured 3.125 inches by 7.4218 inches.
* Between the Fort Worth, Texas and the Washington, DC Facilitiesapproximately 18 tons of ink per day are used.
* About 4,000 double folds (firstforward and then backwards) are required before a note will tear.
* The following information regarding the average life of a FederalReserve Note was provided by the Federal Reserve System - pleasenote that the life of a note depends on its denomination:
$ 1 ................ 22 months
$ 5 ................ 24 months
$ 10................ 18 months
$ 20 ............... 25 months
$ 50 ............... 55 months
$100.............. 60 months
* Bill are crowded with numbers and letters that help the U.S.Treasury track printing errors and authenticate currency. Here is what many ofthem mean:
- The "B" on the left side is the Federal Reserve Bank thatissued the bill.
- The "2" to the left of the "B" (also printed on the bottomleft, right and upper right) is the number that corresponds tothe letter ("B"). A=1, B=2, C=3. There are 12 Federal Reservebanks.
- The number to the left of the "2" is the position on the 32note sheet where the bill comes from.
- The number to the right of the bottom right "2" specifiesthe plate used to print the bill.
- The letter before the serial number corresponds to theFederal Reserve Bank.
- The letter at the end of the serial number tells how manytimes the serial number has been used.
- Signature on the bottom left is the Treasurer overseeing theU.S. Mint and the B.E.P.
- Signature on the bottom right is the Treasury Secretaryoverseeing the Treasurer and the nations financial accounts,including the I.R.S.
* During the Civil War period, the Bureau of Engraving and Printingwas called upon to print paper notes in denominations of 3 cents, 5cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, and 50 cents. The reason for this is thatpeople hoarded coins because of their intrinsic value which createda drastic shortage of circulating coins.
* Contrary to popular belief, the automobile pictured on the back ofthe $10 note is not a Model "T" Ford. It is merely a creation of thedesigner of the bill.
* The origin of the "$" sign has been variously accounted for,however, the most widely accepted explanation is that the symbol isthe result of evolution, independently in different places, of theMexican or Spanish "P's" for pesos, or piastres, or pieces of eight.The theory, derived from a study of old manuscripts, is that the "S"gradually came to be written over the "P," developing a closeequivalent of the "$" mark. It was widely used before the adoptionof the United States dollar in 1785.
Something To Think About
*Saying that the number 13 is an unlucky number is almost a worldwidebelief. You will usually never see a room numbered 13, or any hotelsor motels with a 13th floor. Think about this: 13 original colonies,13 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 13 stripes on ourflag, 13 steps on the Pyramid, 13 letters in the Latin above, 13letters in "E Pluribus Unum", 13 stars above the Eagle, 13 bars onthat shield, 13 leaves on the olive branch, 13 fruits, and if youlook closely, 13 arrows. And for minorities: the 13th Amendment.
