The 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 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 bill, you will see the United States Treasury
Seal. On the top you will see the scales for a balanced budget. In the center
you have a carpenter's 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.
If
you turn the bill over, you will see 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 or decided what we could do for Western
Civilization. The Pyramid is un-capped, 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 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 this currency. The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS,
means, "God has favored our 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
of 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 very few people know 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, 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, "E PLURIBUS UNUM", meaning, "one nation from many
people".
Above
the Eagle, are 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.
This page last updated:
11/13/2004