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 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 un-capped, 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...
|
