Share this page with everyone, 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.
Take out a one dollar bill, and look
at it.
The one dollar bill you are 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 everyone, 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.