20 Surprising Facts About The US Dollar

11. Track Your Money via Where’s George?

Do you ever wonder where your money has been? Well, now you can find out thanks to a website called Where’s George? All you have to do is enter the serial number on the bill you’d like to track and the website identifies all of the places its been during circulation. Since its inception, there have been over 270 million bills tracked.

12. Congress Took Their Time with the Great Seal

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, it took six years for Congress to approve the design of the Great Seal of the United States. The seal, as you should know, is heavily featured on the back of the one-dollar bill. You have to wonder what might have gone on the back had it not been approved.

13. The Hidden Meanings in the Eagle

Did you know the eagle on the back of the $1 bill is more than just a design? According to the Federal Reserve, the eagle’s talon represents war, while the olive branch represents peace. The United States has always been a country that promotes peace and prosperity, so it makes sense our currency would do the same.

14. More than Meets the Eye

The words above and below the pyramid on the dollar bill note hold significant meaning. “Annuit Coeptis” means “Providence Has Favored Our Undertakings,” and “Novus ordo seclorum” translates to “A New Order of the Ages.” According to the Federal Reserve, this refers to the U.S. historic form of government in the past.

15. The Eagle vs. the Turkey

Originally, Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird featured on the $1 bill because he believed it was a more “respectable” bird. Thomas Jefferson also wanted to include an Egyptian pharaoh in the seal as well. We’re kind of happy that both of these ideas never passed approval.

16. Lucky Number 13

There are 13 arrows in the eagle’s left talon on the back of the dollar bill note. The Great Seal also includes 13 stars and stripes to represent the 13 original colonies. The pyramid also includes 13 steps. It seems “13” was the lucky number when it came to designing our currency.

17. The Bill to Change the $1 Bill to Coins

In 2012, Senator John McCain and former Senator Tom Harkin introduced a bill that would replace the $1 bill with dollar coins. Their reasoning was that the move could save $13.8 billion over the next 30 years. However, it failed to pass because people were not willing to let go of their paper money.

18. New Printing Methods

The Bureau of Engraving experimented with the design of the $1 bill from 1992-1996, developing a cheaper method for manufacturing the note through “web printing.” According to the Bureau, the process could print the bill twice as fast; however, the process was eventually stopped. Some of these bills are still in circulation and are quite valuable if you happen to have one.

19. Sorry, $2 Bills are Worth Nothing

While some people collect $2 bills because they think they are valuable, the truth is they aren’t worth anything. Although the design is cool, there are still over a billion in circulation, so they haven’t become a rare commodity just yet.

20. Discontinued Bank Notes

Here’s a pretty cool fact: the largest bank notes ever printed were $100,000 bills. They were issued in 1934 and featured the face of President Woodrow Wilson. The banknote, along with other high bill notes, was discontinued due to lack of use in December of 1945. Interestingly enough, these bills are still legal to tender, although we’re not sure you would want to give up such a valuable piece of U.S. history.

Credits: igcritic.com

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