What’s in Your Wallet? The Meaning of the What’s Printed on Our One-Dollar Bill UNT in...

What’s in Your Wallet?

The Meaning of the What’s Printed on Our One-Dollar Bill

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One of the world’s most familiar and circulated currencies.

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The Path a $1 takes……..

Treasury Department

Federal Reserve

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George Washington

Thomas Jefferson

Abraham Lincoln

Alexander Hamilton

Andrew Jackson

Ulysses S. Grant

Benjamin Franklin

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What about these out of circulation bills?

William McKinley

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What about these out of circulation bills?

Grover Cleveland

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What about these out of circulation bills?

James Madison

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What about these out of circulation bills?

Salmon P. Chase

WHO???

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The other non-presidential face on U.S. paper currency, Salmon P. Chase served as Secretary of the Treasury in Lincoln’s cabinet from 1861 to 1864. During this time, both the national banking system and the issue of legal tender paper currency were established.

Chase was also instrumental in placing “In God We Trust” on the United States currency.

Now: the $100,000 question. Who was on the $100,000 bill?

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Woodrow Wilson

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What happens to the bills that are ripped, torn, or defaced?

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A Closer Look

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● It’s not “paper” but rather a blend of 25% linen and 75% cotton.

● It has red and blue synthetic fibers woven in it.

● A special green ink blend prints on the paper.

● Symbols, seals, serial numbers, and portraits are added later.

● It is stretched, pressed, and then cut.

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The “obverse” or front of the bill.

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Federal Reserve District Seal

What’s in Your Wallet?

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Balancing Scales

Chevron

Key

1789

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Serial Number

Serial Number

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Position Number (letter)

Position Number (letter)

Plate Serial Number: 57

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Series Date

● Change in Secretary of the Treasury

● And/or change to the design

When the Treasurer of the United States changes, a suffix is added. In this case, “A” indicates a change in the Treasurer.

The year in which a note is printed is actually not indicated on the bill.

A new series date results from:

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Important Signatures

Treasurer of United States

Secretary of Treasury

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The “reverse” of the dollar bill.

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Artwork of the Great Seal

Artwork by William Barton (May 1782) and Charles Thomson (June 1782)

Current Seal

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The All-Seeing Eye

“He has favoured our undertakings.”

“a new order of the ages”

1776 – Declaration of Independence

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Olive branches Arrows

13 stars

“One nation for many people”

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Lucky 13?

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Number of steps on the pyramid of the Great SealNumber of letters in “E Pluribus Unum”

Number of vertical bars on the bald eagle’s shieldNumber of horizontal bars at the top of the bald eagle’s shield

Number of leaves on the olive branchNumber of berries on the olive branchNumber of arrows the eagle is holding

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The next time you open your wallet to pay for something, take time to glance over this piece of American history that carries the

most powerful symbols of our country.

Now you know what’s in your wallet.