Facts About Dollar Bills

The basic face and back designs of all denominations of United States paper currency, except the backs of the $1 and $2 denominations in general circulation today, were adopted in 1928.

The front of the bills feature portraits of famous, deceased American statesmen: George Washington on the $1, Thomas Jefferson on the $2, Abraham Lincoln on the $5, Alexander Hamilton on the $10, Andrew Jackson on the $20, Ulysses Grant on the $50, and Benjamin Franklin on the $100. Notes of higher denominations, while no longer produced featured William McKinley on the $500, Grover Cleveland on the $1000, James Madison on the $5000, and Salmon Chase on the $10,000.

Faceplate Numbers and Letters are the small numbers and letters that can be found in the lower right and upper left corners of a bill. In the left corner is the Note Position Number. This consists of the Note Position Letter and a quadrant number. The combination indicates the position of the note on the plate from which it was printed. In the lower right corner, the Note Position Letter is followed by the Plate Serial Number. This identifies the plate from which the note was printed. The Plate Serial Number for the reverse (back) side of the note is in the lower-right corner, just inside the ornamental border on the reverse of the bill.

Bills that bear a small "FW" in the lower right corner on the face of the note (to the left of the note position letter) indicate that the bill was printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

The backs of the bills feature images reflective of the history of our nation: The Great Seal of the United States on the $1, the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the $2, the Lincoln Memorial on the $5, the Treasury Building on the $10, the White House on the $20, the Capitol on the $50, and Independence Hall on the $100. Denominations higher than $100 feature ornate impressions of the numerical value of the note, such as an ornate "500."

A popular and often asked question about design is the one that appears on the back of the $1 note, the Great Seal of the United States. The front of the seal shows an American bald eagle behind our national shield. The eagle holds an olive branch, which symbolizes peace, with 13 berries and 13 leaves. In the left talon, the eagle holds 13 arrows, which represents war. The 13 leaves represent the original colonies. The eagle's head is turned toward the olive branch, showing a desire for peace.

The top of the shield represents the Congress, the head of the eagle the Executive branch, and the nine tail feathers the Judiciary branch of our government. The 13-letter motto, "E Pluribus Unum," on the ribbon held in the eagle's beak means "Out of Many, One."

On the reverse of the seal is a pyramid with 1776 in Roman numerals at the base. The pyramid stands for permanence and strength. The pyramid is unfinished, signifying the United States' future growth and goal of perfection. A sunburst and an eye are above the pyramid, representing the overseeing eye of a deity. The 13-letter motto, "Annuit Coeptis" means "He has favored our undertakings." Below the pyramid the motto, "Novus Ordo Seclorum" means "A new order of the ages," standing for the new American era.