We've all looked at the U.S. dollar bill and wondered what was in the minds of the people who created the design for it. In an article from AOL News we find the following five pieces of information to start understanding it a bit better.
The creature on the upper-right hand corner of the bill above the number and to the left is a tiny creature peeking out. Some say it's an owl, some say it's part of the skull and crossbones when turned sideways. Most likely, the creature was placed there as an anti-counterfeit measure.
The eye at the top of the pyramid is the dollar bill's biggest puzzle. Many believe the eye represents the presence of God watching over America. Others believe the "all-seeing eye" is a symbol of the Freemasons. The Freemasons were once an elite secret fraternity and many believe our founding fathers were members.
The Roman numeral. At the bottom of the pyramid is a long series of roman numerals, MDCCLXXVI. The numeral stands for the number 1776 the year America declared independence.
The letter on the front of the bill. The letter to the left of Washington's face represents which Federal Reserve Bank printed the bill. As an example, a "B" would represent New York. Other letters are:
The significance of the number 13. On the back of the bill, the eagle is holding 13 arrows and an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 olives. The eagle's shield has 13 vertical and 13 horizontal stripes. The number 13 represents the original 13 colonies.
Image: Obverse & Reverse of U.S. dollar bill - Wikipedia
The creature on the upper-right hand corner of the bill above the number and to the left is a tiny creature peeking out. Some say it's an owl, some say it's part of the skull and crossbones when turned sideways. Most likely, the creature was placed there as an anti-counterfeit measure.
The eye at the top of the pyramid is the dollar bill's biggest puzzle. Many believe the eye represents the presence of God watching over America. Others believe the "all-seeing eye" is a symbol of the Freemasons. The Freemasons were once an elite secret fraternity and many believe our founding fathers were members.
The Roman numeral. At the bottom of the pyramid is a long series of roman numerals, MDCCLXXVI. The numeral stands for the number 1776 the year America declared independence.
The letter on the front of the bill. The letter to the left of Washington's face represents which Federal Reserve Bank printed the bill. As an example, a "B" would represent New York. Other letters are:
- "A" for Boston
- "B" for New York
- "C" for Philadelphia
- "D" for Cleveland
- "E" for Richmond
- "F" for Atlanta
- "H" for St. Louis
- "I" for Minneapolis
- "J" for Kansas City
- "K" for Dallas
- "L" for San Francisco
The significance of the number 13. On the back of the bill, the eagle is holding 13 arrows and an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 olives. The eagle's shield has 13 vertical and 13 horizontal stripes. The number 13 represents the original 13 colonies.
Image: Obverse & Reverse of U.S. dollar bill - Wikipedia