From the emblems, to the writings, to the very paper it's on,
join me as we explore 10 mind-blowing secrets in US Dollars!
10. The Intent Of Latin You would think that every
detail that was put into something as important as the United States Dollar would be checked and
rechecked and laid out so that there couldn't be any misinterpretation. And you would be right.
And that's one of the biggest reasons why there is a ton of Latin in the US dollar.
While Latin today is considered a "dead language", its remnants are all around us.
And while it may be "dead" now, it certain wasn't dead when the United States was being
born and the first dollars were being made. Back then, Latin was a kind of "regal" language, and
even the founding fathers like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton knew that when it came to
speech, people wanted to feel smarter by the words they were saying (a stark contrast to the language
of our world right now...I'm just saying), and so putting it on the US dollar helped make it feel
more official, more dignified and special. But more than that, the use of Latin was to
help separate the United States and set a "higher standard". After all, when the colonies revolted
against the crown and England, they did it so that they could be their own nation. They were
the first Republic in some time in the world, and the use of Latin was meant to help convey
that to the people, to the world, and beyond. And the use of Latin was also a tribute to
the past Republics such as the Greek and Roman Republics (the Romans were a republic
before they became an Empire). 9. What's Missing In The $5 Bill?
One of the biggest things that people talk about in the world today are conspiracy theories,
you could even point to how there are various shows on Discovery Channel, History Channel, and
more that break down these conspiracy theories and point to whether they are actually credible, or
they are just the works of the minds of madmen and women. And yes, when it comes to the currency of
the United States, many people look to these bills and 'see' all kinds of things that "prove" that
there are indeed conspiracies going on with them. One of the biggest of which is with the $5 bill.
If you look at the back of the $5 bill, you're going to see a rather
gorgeous picture of the Lincoln Memorial. Which is fair because the beloved President was the
literal face of the $5 bill. Anyway, if you look at the top part of the monument, you'll
notice that there are 26 states listed in the stone. But as people have noted for many years,
if this was an 'accurate' depiction, there should be 48 states based on when it was made (Alaska
and Hawaii came after the memorial was built). So why is there only 26 where there should be 48?
Clearly this is a sign of something bigger, and more, right?
Well...no. Because the picture of the memorial is 100% accurate in the depiction
of the states on the stone. The other 22 states are on the SIDE of the monument,
and thus couldn't be shown on the $5 bill! So A for effort conspiracy theorists, but
not quite enough to prove a secret meaning on this particular bill.
Good luck with your next search. But for the rest of us? There are plenty of other facts to look at.
8. Critters We're heading back to the $1 bill for this one,
and to be fair, this is another conspiracy theory of sorts. But unlike the one with the $5 bill,
this one isn't so easy to shoot down with various facts because it's honestly
hard to explain what is going on here. So, here's what you need to do. Get out a $1 bill,
and then make sure you're looking at the front of the bill. Now, get a magnifying glass or other
scope you may have lying around (I'm sure you'll find something that'll work) and put that scope
right over the top right "1" on the front of the bill. if you look at the upper left hand corner
above the "1", you'll see a crescent moon style cutout, and within that cutout...is a critter.
Now, depending on how you view things, you can "see" this "critter" as a bunch of things,
and many people have speculated that it could be a plethora of various kind of animals.
But the one that many people consider the most likely and logical is that it is in the
shape of an owl. That is interesting for numerous reasons, but it doesn't explain
why it might be hidden on the $1 bill. A common theory is that the owl is a
representation of the Free Masons. A group that had a lot of power back in the earlier
days of the United States and still exist to this day. The owl indeed is a symbol of this group,
but why it was so secretly placed within the $1 bill is a bit of a curiosity.
Though some have tried to play this off and say that it's just a symbol for wisdom, of which owls
have been known to be symbols of in the past. 7. Money Makings
If I was to ask you what US currency like the $1, $5, $10, and $20 bill was made out of, you would
instinctively say "paper". I mean, it's literally referred to as "paper money" all over the world
(and at one time was the most despised kind of currency, but that's another list). And yet,
if you were to compare a dollar bill to an actual piece of paper, you're very likely to notice some
things that don't add up. Including how paper is known to break down over time just from basic wear
and tear, whereas money seems to have a MUCH longer lifespan and endurance to such acts.
Well, there's a simple truth behind that, your bills...aren't made of paper. Oops.
Believe it or not, it's a fusion of cotton and linen. About 75% to 25% in regards to proportions.
This fusion allows the bills to last a lot longer. How much longer? Good question.
In its current format, the average $1 bill can last for about 6 years if it's put
under the basic wear and tear of human life. However, if it were made of regular paper,
then it would last at most about one year before it would need to be destroyed.
"Destroyed?" you ask? Yes, when bills become too ragged, they're
sent back to the US Mint to be destroyed and thus taken out of public circulation.
Before we dive even deeper into this rabbit hole of mysteries and oddities, be sure to like
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6. Codes I'm sure this is already setting off the alarms
of conspiracy theorists out there. But sadly, this particular kind of code is not only basic,
and standard, it's easy to prove. If you look on the front of a bill no matter its monetary value,
you're going to see a stamp on it with the words "federal reserve" on it. This
is the actual logo of the federal reserve where money is kept and ordered at times.
But, if you look from bill to bill, you'll notice something a bit odd. Mainly, within the seal is
a letter, and that letter keeps changing. And if you look at the number to the side of the letter,
you'll notice that it keeps changing as well. What does this code mean?
Quite simply, it shows you a point of origin. In this case, the origin of the bill in regards
to which Federal Reserve ordered the bill to be made. There are 12 reserve banks across the US,
and the letter/number combinations tells you which bank you bill came from.
For example, if you have a combination of A1, that bill came from Boston. If you have L12,
that one came from San Francisco. You could make this quite the fun project
and see if you get bills from all 12 banks. 5. 13
Numbers are obviously a BIG part of our currency. They not only tell us the monetary value,
and as just revealed where the bill was ordered from, but it can also give us clues as to where
the bill is real or not. And yet, there are also numbers strewn without the bills that don't seem
to have a purpose, and thus make it a curiosity for both conspiracy theorist and numerologists.
However, there is one number that most everyone can agree upon in regards to its purpose.
And that's that the number 13 can be found on these bills, and it was done so intentionally.
But why? Isn't 13 an unlucky number? In our culture, it is considered that. But
with the founding fathers, they had a more personal reason for liking the number 13.
After all, there were 13 original colonies. And so, if you look across the bills, you'll
see various references to 13. Including the Eagle sigil that has 7 different ways of referencing the
13 colonies. Talk about dedication to the number! 4. Forgeries
One of the worst things that goes on in our world today is that of forgery,
and few things are as forged as US currency. After all, if you can pay with fake money,
why wouldn't you, right? Well, the government knows this and they have worked very hard
over the years to ensure that they are able to fight these counterfeiters and that the people
who handle these bills know what to look for. One of the biggest things that they do is have
secret fibers within the bills that certain people know what to look for. When they see these fibers,
they can tell it's a real bill, if it's not there, it's a fake.
What's more, these fibers are different in color depending on the denomination,
and they are put in different spots. So that way if someone tries to mimic the $100 fiber on a $20,
people who know this security system will know it's a fake.
And of course, the new $100 bills that have gone into circulation
have a very obvious security strip that has been VERY hard to mimic for counterfeiters.
Ironically though, the $1 does not have these kind of strip. That is likely because it would be
foolish to make a lot of counterfeit $1 bills, but some are saying this will change in the future.
3. Eye Of Providence
Heading back to the $1 bill again, let's look at one of the most unique images on the bill,
the so called "Eye of Providence". This symbol alone has caused MANY conspiracy theories both
out there and yet oddly logical. But why was it put on the bill at all?
The main reason is that many of the founding fathers believed in God,
and the "Eye of Providence" is also known as the "Eye of God" and its triangle is a reference to
the "Holy Trinity" of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Going back to the first entry about Latin,
there are phrases on the bill that indicate that God himself is watching over America
and its people and thus he "approves" of what America did to separate from England.
There is also those who believe that the symbol on the dollar PROVES that America is actually
run by the Freemasons (of which several founding fathers were confirmed to be part of the group).
One problem, the "All Seeing Eye" was used by the Freemasons AFTER the $1 bill was made.
2. Security Stars As noted earlier,
US currency has a TON of ways to protect itself from counterfeiters, but one of them is so deep
you could say it reaches the depths of space. Mainly, throughout currency in the world,
not just the US, you'll find a constellation known as "Eurion", which is a constellation that
is meant to represent the stars of Orion's belt in space, but is also a fusion of it with "Euro".
But why does this particular constellation find itself on currency all over the world?
It's a security system. One that actually prevents people from copying money via
printers and various other things. For real, these symbols will be scanned by a printer or
other device trying to copy the money, and when it sees or scans the constellation, it'll stop.
And that's why you'll find these constellations all over US currency and other nations currency,
because it's a simple yet effective way to ensure that no one copies what they shouldn't.
1. Super Eagle The eagle symbol that is on the
$1 bill has been one of the most scrutinized pieces of US currency, and over the years,
many people have "found" various symbols and meanings behind what it is "really saying".
But in truth, there are various meanings behind its designs, and some of them is very poetic.
For example, the shield that is in front of the eagle isn't being held by the bird.
Rather, it's just floating there. That was to symbolize that America and its people should
be self-sufficient. What's more, the shield has reference to the 13 colonies, as well
as the government that helps " bind it together". Then of course, there is the olive branch and the
arrows. This is mean to represent war and peace, which America has had a long history with both.
Thanks for watching everyone! What did you think of these mind-blowing facts of US currency?
Can you believe the little things and details that make US currency
special and unique? How many of these facts did you know before you watched the list? Let me know
in the comments below, be sure to subscribe, and I'll see you next time on the channel!