Features
Of A Dollar Bill
by Rob Cottignies
The most common piece of paper currency in our wallets
has a surprisingly complex history.
Introduced in 1862 to fund the Civil War effort, a
dollar bill’s size was originally seven square inches larger than it is now. The
design underwent many changes until the parameters were made uniform in 1928.
The first one-dollar bill featured a portrait of
Salmon P. Chase, then-Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham
Lincoln. Seven years later, Chase’s depiction was replaced by that of George
Washington, America’s first president and important guide to forming the
country.
(Had you heard of Salmon Chase before
reading this article? If so, did you think it was a kids’ game involving fish?)
The first design with Washington also featured a scene
of Christopher Columbus in a rare moment when he was not exploiting, abusing,
or murdering Native Americans.
Some other general modifications included adding and
removing colors and words, different designs, and portraits of Lincoln, Martha
Washington, and Ulysses S. Grant.
A fun story:
In 1864, National Currency Bureau superintendent
Spencer Clark was asked to portray explorer William Clark (of Lewis &
Clark) and/or Comptroller Freeman Clarke on a note.
By narcissism or ignorance, Spencer saw the person’s
surname on the request and promptly added his own likeness to American
currency.
Two years later, an outraged Congress passed a law
stating no living person can be shown on any paper or metal money, deeming the
depiction of somebody who is still around to be unpatriotic.
…
Currently, paper money is more like clothing fabric
than paper, being 75% composed of cotton with linen comprising the rest. The
ink is a ferrofluid, which is mildly magnetic and an important feature
to prevent forgery.
While higher-denomination notes contain various
anti-fraud designs, the one-dollar bill has remained largely unaltered.
(If you were to produce counterfeit money,
why would you focus on a dollar bill?)
The Bureau Of Engraving & Printing is responsible
for physically printing paper currency. Its facilities in Washington, D.C., and
Fort Worth, Texas, manufacture all of America’s (legal) cash.
The United States Mint produces coins and is
headquartered in Washington, D.C. This entity oversees production facilities in
Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and West Point in New York. The U.S.
Bullion Depository located in Fort Knox, Kentucky, contains an enormous amount
of gold and is also under the umbrella of the Mint. This gold provides the
backbone of currency, the bills by themselves being worthless.
Important to note is that a Federal Reserve Bank
is one of 12 institutions accountable for issuing currency for its geographic
area based on need and other factors. In order of numbers (explained later), the
cities that cover these regions are Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland,
Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, Saint Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, and
San Francisco. These also oversee common banks and similar money-related
organizations.
Below are pictures of a sample American one-dollar
bill followed by explanations of the circled features.
*GENERAL FEATURES*
Why is the dollar bill colored that way?
Off-white
is the natural color of the paper. In addition to being a ferrofluid,
the ink is green simply because that was the most abundant color when (and
since) mass printing began.
The number 13
Sets
of 13 are “hidden” on both sides of the dollar bill, such as on the reverse
side’s pyramid with 13 levels and the symbolic eagle holding 13 arrows
underneath 13 stars. This number represents the original British colonies.
Our sample dollar is from the region covered by Atlanta. Looking at the list explaining Federal Reserve Banks above, you will see Atlanta is the sixth city mentioned. The ‘F’ within the circular seal is the sixth letter of the alphabet. ‘6’ is displayed multiple times as a deterrent from forgery.
The Treasurer oversees the Mint and Bureau Of
Engraving & Printing and typically acts as an advisor to the Secretary of
the Treasury, who is a member of the president’s Cabinet, advising him (or someday
her) on economic issues such as defense spending and tax policies.
As of February 2021, there has been no Treasurer since Jovita Carranza left the position in January 2020. The current Secretary of the Treasury is Janet Yellen, the first woman to hold that position.
The seal is presented with the reverse (back) on the left of
the dollar and the obverse (front) on the right.
The reverse side of the seal displays a pyramid with
its top “floating” above the rest. Inspired by the Egyptian pyramids, this
symbolizes strength and longevity.
The piece above the pyramid is the Eye Of
Providence, a symbol representing the Holy Trinity and meaning God is watching over
Americans.
The obverse side features a bald eagle, the national bird of the United States. The olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left suggest peace and war, respectively. The shield on the eagle’s chest is an adaptation of the American flag. The ribbon in the bird’s mouth reads E Pluribus Unum, which is Latin meaning ‘From many, one’.
…
Hopefully, this list of explanations will spur your interest in everyday things. It has already helped me with a Jeopardy response about the Eye of Providence. (To brag a little, none of the contestants got it.) Maybe one day, the lists on this blog will help you and/or me on the actual show.
Enjoy!
