The Front of the One-Dollar Bill

We are now going to look closely at each part of your dollar bill.

Find the words FEDERAL RESERVE NOTE printed on the front of the bill as well as the words THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A message below that reads: This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private. This gives you the right to use this money to buy things and pay off debts.

The green treasury seal and the serial numbers identify the dollar bill in the same way fingerprints identify humans.

The Treasury Seal has changed its original design of Latin words to English words. This didn’t happen until the year 1969. Now the words 'Department of The Treasury' and the year 1789 appear around the outside of the circle.

Look closely at the top of the Treasury Seal (the green circle). You will see scales, which stand for a balanced budget. In the center is a carpenter’s square, a tool used for an ‘even cut.’ At the bottom is the ‘key’ to the United States Treasury.

The green serial number sometimes has a star placed after the numbers. This means that it is a replacement in that series for a bill that was damaged or destroyed.

The signatures at the bottom of your dollar are from the Secretary of Treasury and Treasurer of the United States.

Each bill has a different person’s picture on the front. They are:

$1 - George Washington
$2 - Thomas Jefferson
$5 - Abraham Lincoln
$10 - Alexander Hamilton (1st non-president, 1st US Secretary of the Treasury)
$20 - Andrew Jackson
$50 - Ulysses Grant
$100 - Benjamin Franklin (2nd non-president, but a famous inventor.)
$500 - William McKinley
$1,000 - Grover Cleveland
$5,000 - James Madison
$10,000 - Samuel Chase (3rd non-president, but Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1864-73.)

Along the rim and sides of the picture frame is a line with tiny printing that can only be read using a magnifying glass. It says, United States of America. It also is very hard to copy with office copiers and printers. This makes it harder for people to copy the money.

On the left side of the portrait, or person’s face, is the Federal Reserve Seal with a letter inside. This letter along with the number to the left of the seal, tells you what Federal Reserve Bank printed the bill.

Find your letter and number to see where yours is from.

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