Take
out a one dollar bill, and look at it.
The one dollar bill you're looking at
first came off the presses in 1957 in
its present design. This so-called paper
money is in fact a cotton and linen
blend, with red and blue minute silk
fibers running through it. It is
actually material. We've all washed it
without it falling apart. A special
blend of ink is used, the contents we
will never know.
It is overprinted with symbols and
then it is starched to make it water
resistant and pressed to give it that
nice crisp look.
If you look on the front of the bill,
you will see the United States
Treasury Seal. On the top you will see
the scales for a balanced budget. In
the center you have a carpenter's square,
a tool used for an even cut.
Underneath is the Key to the United
States Treasury.
That's all pretty easy to figure out,
but what is on the back of that dollar
bill is something we should all know.
If you turn the bill over, you will
see two circles. Both circles, together,
comprise the Great Seal of the United
States. The First Continental Congress
requested that Benjamin Franklin and a
group of men come up with a Seal. It
took them four years to accomplish this
task and another two years to get it
approved.
If you look at the left-hand circle,
you will see a Pyramid. Notice the face
is lighted, and the western side is dark.
This country was just beginning.
We had not begun to explore the West or
decided what we could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is
un-capped, again signifying that we were not even close to being
finished. Inside the capstone you have the all-seeing
eye, an ancient symbol for divinity.
It was Franklin's belief that one man
couldn't do it alone, but a group of men,
with the help of God, could do
anything. "IN GOD WE TRUST" is
on this currency. The Latin above the
pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means, "God
has favored our undertaking." The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS
ORDO SECLORUM, means, "a new order has begun." At the base of
the pyramid is the Roman Numeral for 1776.
If you look at the right-hand circle,
and check it carefully, you will learn
that it is on every National Cemetery in
the United States. It is also on
the Parade of Flags Walkway at the
Bushnell, Florida National Cemetery, and
is the centerpiece of most hero's
monuments. Slightly modified, it is the
seal of the President of the United
States, and it is always visible
whenever he speaks, yet very few people
know what the symbols mean.
The Bald Eagle was selected as a
symbol for victory for two reasons: First,
he is not afraid of a storm; he is
strong, and he is smart enough to soar
above it. Secondly, he wears no material
crown. We had just broken from the
King of England. Also, notice the shield
is unsupported. This country can
now stand on its own. At the top of that
shield you have a white bar
signifying congress, a unifying factor.
We were coming together as one
nation. In the Eagle's beak you will
read, "E PLURIBUS UNUM", meaning, "one nation from many
people". Above the Eagle, you have thirteen stars,
representing the thirteen original
colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we
were coming together as one. Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons.
He holds an olive branch and arrows.
This country wants peace, but we will
never be afraid to fight
to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants
to face the olive branch, but in
time of war, his gaze turns toward the
arrows.
They say that the number 13 is an
unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide belief. You will usually
never see a room numbered 13, or any hotels or motels with a 13th floor.
But think about this: 13 original
colonies, 13 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 13 stripes on our flag, 13
steps on the Pyramid, 13 letters in the Latin above, 13 letters in "E
Pluribus Unum", 13 stars above the Eagle, 13 bars on that shield, 13 leaves on the
olive branch, 13 fruits, and if you look closely, 13 arrows. And, for
minorities: the 13th Amendment.
I always ask people, "Why don't
you know this?" Your children don't know this, and their history teachers don't
know this.
Too many veterans have given up too
much to ever let the meaning fade. Many veterans remember coming home to
an America that didn't care. Too many veterans never came home at all.
Share this with everyone, so they can learn what is on
the back of the
UNITED STATES ONE DOLLAR BILL, and what it stands for .
. . Otherwise, they will probably never know .
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For
all kinds of dollar bill facts and trivia from the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing
Click
Here
Know Your Money from the United States Secret Service
Click
Here
Fundamental Facts about U.S. Money from the Federal Reserve Bank
of Atlanta Click
Here
Map of the Federal Reserve Banking System from the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York
Click
Here
How Currency Gets Into Circulation
from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Click
Here
Where's George? Have
some fun with this dollar bill tracker.
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