The One Dollar Bill
Take out a one dollar bill.
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
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 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, you have 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.
I always ask people, "Why don't you know this?"
Your children don't know this, and their history teachers
don't know this. Too many veterans have given up too
much to ever let the meaning fade. Many veterans
remember coming home to an America that didn't care.
Too many veterans never came home at all.
Share this page with someone,
so they can learn what is on the back of the
UNITED STATES ONE DOLLAR BILL,
and what it stands for...
Otherwise, they will probably never know...
Author Unknown
Money
Money can be wonderful,
for freedom and in fun,
it can assist in pampering,
and reduce all debts to none.
A foundation of happiness,
via money is unwise,
security via the loving Self,
is where it Truly lies.
There is nothing “wrong,”
with money we say,
it is the shift in focus,
which often leads astray.
You can’t live two ideals,
for only One is True,
choose either the loving Self,
or that which controls you.
© 1999 Eric Matthew Brodsky
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