What's a Dollar Bill Worth These Days? At Least a Look... | My Fisher Grad Life (2024)

I could almost guarantee that everyone that reads this post has touched a dollar bill in the last month. Even if you pay for everything with a debit card (because your new found love for Mint.com makes it easy to track your spending), you probably have some cash on hand for that morning coffee at work or snack machines without credit card swipes. The best part is, the dollar bill has more history on it than you thought, and it has been right in your fingertips since you were old enough to lose a tooth.

I recently read a blog called "15 Things You Never Noticed on a Dollar" and I would like to share parts of the blog with you along with some additional fun facts:

1. Ever notice that huge letter inside the circular seal to the left of George Washington's face?
   • This marking signifies the Federal Reserve bank that placed the order for the currency.
   • A = Boston, B = New York City, C = Philadelphia, D = Cleveland, E = Richmond, Va., F = Atlanta, G = Chicago, H = St. Louis, I = Minneapolis, J = Kansas City, K = Dallas, and L = San Francisco.
   • The four numbers that are repeating signify the number of the letter of the alphabet that it corresponds to, for example- A-1, D-4, and so on.
2. How fresh is your Latin? Maybe if you took it in high school, you might already know this, but there are three Latin phrases on the back of the dollar bill, and they are:
   • Annuit Coeptis - meaning "God has favored (or approved) our undertakings".
   • Novus Ordo Seclorum - meaning "New order of the ages".
   • E Pluribus Unum - meaning "Out of many, one".
3. The unfinished pyramid with the glowing eye has a few features as well:
   • Thirteen steps for the 13 original colonies.
   • Contains the "Eye of Providence" - which is believed to be a representation that God favors the prosperity of the United States.
   • The bottom contains the Roman numerals for 1776.- MDCCLXXVI.
4. The Bald Eagle on the back is grasping in its talons arrows and olive branches.
   • This is signifying war and peace.
   • The Bald Eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America.
5. The dollar bill actually has had no value tied to it!
   • This is why it the front of the bill states: "This Note is Legal Tender For All Debts, Public or Private".
6. According to theBureau of Engraving and Printing,the average life of a $1 bill in circulation is 21 months before it is replaced due to wear.
7. Also, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing state that approximately 45% of our currency produced today are one-dollar bills.

* Please note: These dollar bills were taken from wikipedia.com and are not to be reprinted or used as legal tender.