The One-dollar Bill

The one-dollar bill 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 made of material.

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 dollar bill you will see the United States Treasury Seal. At the top you will see the scales for the balance...a balanced budget.

In the center you have a carpenter's T-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.

On the back you will find 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 nor 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 will find the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Benjamin 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 the currency. The Latin above the pyramid, "ANNUIT COEPTIS", means "God has favored this 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 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 no one knows 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, the shield is unsupported. This country could now stand on its own. At the top of the shield is a white bar signifying Congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as a new nation. In the Eagle's beak are the words E PLURIBUS UNUM, meaning "one nation from many people."

Above the Eagle you will find 13 stars representing the 13 original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one. The Eagle holds and olive branch and arrows in his talons. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace.

It is almost a universal belief that the number 13 is an unlucky number. You will never see a room numbered 13, nor any hotel or building 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 plumes of feathers on each span of the Eagle's wing
• 13 bars on the shield
• 13 leaves on the olive branch
• 13 fruits, and if you look closely,
• 13 arrows.