THE UNITED STATES ONE DOLLAR BILL
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 th 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
In the center you have a carpenter's square, a tool used for an even cut.
Underneath is the Key to the
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
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.
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 COEPTIS, means, "God has favored our undertaking.
The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means,
At the base of the pyramid is the Roman Numeral for 1776. (MDCCLXXVI)
If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully,
It is also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell,
Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the
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
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, "
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
