13 Fun Facts About Dollar Bills Everyone Needs to Know

Do you want to discover some fascinating facts about US dollar bills? You're at the right place. The history of U.S. money is wild and intriguing. These dollar bill facts will completely transform the way you look at your wallet:

1. Large denomination bills

There was a period when the United States issued $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, and even $100,000 notes! Prior to electronic payment, they were mostly utilized by banks.

The earliest documented usage of the $1,000 note coincided with the birth of the United States. According to Matthew Wittmann, assistant curator at the American Numismatic Society, a group that studies coins and currency, the Continental Congress, a body of delegates representing the 13 colonies, started producing paper money, including the $1,000 note, to help finance the Revolutionary War.

However, it was barely worth a fraction of that amount back then. Why? Because paper currency was genuinely undervalued. It might have only been worth $20 in 'real' hard money at the time. According to Dennis Forgue, a numismatist at coin dealer Harlan J. Berk Ltd., the US government did not formally manufacture $1,000 notes until the commencement of the Civil War.

2. Damaged Bills

Don't toss ripped or taped money. You can swap ¾ of the bill for the entire bill at the bank. You may use a bill that has been ripped in half as long as the serial numbers on both sides match!

3. Extremely Durable

Did you know that an average piece of paper can endure 400 folds before it breaks, but a dollar note can survive 8000 folds before it shreds?

4. Cloth or paper?

The United States dollar is currently printed on a 75 percent cotton, 25 percent linen combination that was formerly made from denim remnants. The paper is designed to keep the surface smooth and the substance durable.

5. The oldest design

The one-dollar note has the oldest design of any dollar currency in circulation. The government hasn't updated it since 1963 since the danger of counterfeiting is negligible. The Treasury Department started printing $1 Federal Reserve notes in 1963. In 1963, Congress repealed the Silver Purchase Act of 1934, which authorized the US government to increase its monetary base by purchasing silver, rendering $1 silver certificates useless. The certificates were replaced by $1 Federal Reserve notes, which are still used as paper money in the United States today.

6. Which is the most common bill?

The one-dollar note is not the most common bill in circulation.  The total number of $1 notes in circulation in 2019 was 12.4 billion, compared to the 14.2 billion $100 bills.

Ten years ago, there were many fewer $100 banknotes than $1 or $20 bills. However, data from the Federal Reserve shows that the number has increased by double since the conclusion of the financial crisis; by 2017, the $100 note overtook the $1 as the most common form of U.S. money.

7. The Unusual $2 Bill

Although a two-dollar note is uncommon, it is not rare. Actually, there are more than one billion two-dollar notes in circulation.

8. The Case of the Bills and the Presidents

A live president's image cannot appear on currency. This ban was put in place to demonstrate that the United States was not a monarchy, as living monarchs and queens were often printed on money in other nations.

9. The cost of printing the bills

A one-dollar note costs around 5 cents to make. However, the $5 and $10 banknotes cost around 11 cents to produce, while the $20 bill costs about 12 cents to produce.

10. Do You Print Your Own Money?

Prior to the establishment of the Federal Reserve, every bank issued its own money! Isn't that insane?

11. Years in Circulation

A one-dollar note is normally in circulation for around six years since it is continually changing hands.  In comparison, a $100 note may be found in circulation for 15 years.

12. A Star Bill

A dollar note with a star on it is a replacement. A new bill with a star at the end of the serial number is used if an error is discovered after the serial number has been printed on a dollar note.

13. The Special Significance of $1 and the number 13

1 dollar notes appear to be particularly fond of the number 13.

There are:

• 13 arrows on the left talon of the eagle
• 13 fruit and 13 olive branch leaves
• The Great Seal is composed of 13 stripes and 13 stars.
• The pyramid has 13 steps, which are believed to represent the 13 original American colonies.

Related article:

How To Tell If A Dollar Bill Is Real