The $1.00
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
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 uncapped, 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
"IN GOD WE TRUST" is on this currency. The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COE
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
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
Share this page
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...
"In God we Trust''