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 minute red and blue silk fibers running through it. It is material and we have all washed it
without it falling apart.
A special blend of ink is used, the contents of which we will never know. It is overprinted with symbols and then 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 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 Franklin's belief that one human couldn't do it alone, but a group of humans, 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 heroes’ 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.
The United States dollar bill is filled with symbolism and filled with God. Respect it and remember this: God's imprint is upon you - spend wisely.
