Dissecting the Dollar

The United States motto 'In God We Trust' was first printed in 1955 on $1 silver certificates. It has been printed on the back of all U.S. paper money from the 1963B series on.

The back of the bill also says, The United States of America.

Now find the two big circles on your bill.

Together, these two circles join to make the Great Seal of the United States. They represent different parts of our government and country.

Now look at the circle on the left side.

It has a large pyramid with the light shining on its face, and the western side covered in darkness. This stands for the beginning of our country and the unexplored western land.

Because the pyramid is uncapped, this means that the United States is not finished exploring.

The eye is an ancient symbol of divinity, or a God-like being watching over us.

If you look closely at the bottom of the pyramid you can see Roman Numerals MDCCLXXVI. This means 1776, the year our country gained its Independence from England.

There are also two Latin phrases inside this circle. The one at the top, Annuit Coeptis means that ‘He/she/it has favored the undertaking or new beginning of our country.’ This refers again to divinity.

The other saying, Novus Ordo Seclorum, means a new secular class. This means that this country has an outlook or philosophy that supports human values.

Now look at the circle on the right side of the back of your bill. The circle on the right has a great Bald Eagle inside it.

The banner, which the beak of the bird is holding, has another Latin phrase written on it that says E Pluribus Unum. This means out of many, one. It’s saying that out of many states and governments comes one unified nation.

The shield unsupported in the circle means that this country stands on its own.

At the top of the shield is a white bar that symbolizes the unity of Congress.

The olive branch stands for peace, while the arrows means that this country will not be afraid to defend its actions and go to war if it has to.

Above the eagle you can see 13 stars, which symbolize the original 13 colonies. Look closer and you will see a pattern begin to emerge.

There are 13 stripes on the shield, 13 leaves on the olive branch, and 13 fruits on that branch. There are 13 arrows, 13 letters in E Pluribus Unum, and 13 steps on the pyramid. In our nation’s history, 13 has shown up a lot. Besides the 13 colonies, there are 13 stripes on our nation’s flag, and 13 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

There is a different design on the back of each different bill. They are:

$1 - The Great Seal of the United States
$2 - The signing of the Declaration of Independence
$5 - The Lincoln Memorial
$10 - United States Treasury building
$20 - The White House
$50 - Capitol Hill
$100 - Independence Hall
$500 - An ornate design of 500
$1,000 - An ornate design of 1,000
$5,000 - An ornate design of 5,000
$10,000 - An ornate design of 10,000*Note: All bills with a value of $500 and greater are now being taken out of circulation.

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