Have You Looked at the Dollar Bill Lately?
The symbolism behind the design
Ric Edelman: It's Wednesday, July 3rd, and Joe Biden is still in the race. Hey, I got an email yesterday from Jim in Miami. He said, “Ric, I appreciate your daily, worldly and investment information. But lately, you’ve been really socking it to us. Our focus and time is limited, I urge you to produce shorter podcasts. Possible? Thanks. Jim B.” That is so funny. I got an email just last month from a guy who said, “Ric, your podcasts are too short. You really need to make them longer.” Well, I guess I can't win. What are your views on this? I mean, I'm doing this podcast for you, not for me. So, I want to deliver what it is you need. So, do you want longer podcasts? You want shorter podcasts? I'm happy to hear from you. So, send me your thoughts to Ask Ric at TheTruthAYF.com – the link is in the show notes.
Today, I want to do something for you that I like to do every 4th of July, and that's talk about our American dollar bill. If you've got one on you, and you probably don't, because I mean, after all, who carries cash anymore? Take a look at it! But if you're driving, don't look. Look at it later. The dollar bill was last redesigned in 1957. It's paper money, we call it, but, no, it's not really paper. It's a blend of cotton and linen. If you look close at it, you'll see it contains red and blue fibers. They're made of silk. On the front of the bill to the right of George Washington is the seal of the United States Treasury. That seal features balancing scales. Not that the seal represents to balance budget mind you. Oh, we sure know that doesn't happen. But the scales are balanced because it's actually a symbol of justice, so you wonder why it's the US Treasury seal as opposed to the Justice Department seal, but I digress. Under the scales are 13 stars, one for each of the 13 colonies. The key on the bottom signifies official authority, and the center shows a chevron, 13 stars on it, representing again the 13 colonies.
On the back of the bill, turn it over. You'll see two sides of the Great Seal of the United States, and that was designed by several committees. The first committee consisted of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. It took four years to complete this, and another two years for the First Continental Congress to give its final approval. The left side of the seal contains a pyramid. The face is lit, but the western side is dark. Some say this demonstrates that, as of the 1780s, we hadn't yet begun to explore the West. The pyramid is uncapped. Again, that signifies we were yet unfinished with our task. Charles Thompson, the Secretary of Congress in 1782, told Congress that the pyramid represented strength and duration. An eye sitting inside the capstone is an ancient symbol for divinity. That was long been used by the Masons, and of course, Benjamin Franklin was one of those. Above that is the Latin phrase, and I hope I pronounce it correctly, Annuit cœptis, which means, God has favored our undertaking. And below that is the phrase, Novus ordo seclorum, which means, a new order for the ages. At the base of the pyramid, in Roman numerals, is the year 1776. The right side of the seal can be found at national cemeteries, and it's also the basis for the seal of the President of the United States.
The bald eagle was chosen as our nation's symbol for victory. And I might add that Benjamin Franklin objected to this. He wanted not the bald eagle, but the wild turkey. Sorry, Ben. The bald eagle, they say, fears no storm, because it's strong enough and smart enough to soar above it. The bald eagle has no crown, and that was important symbolism, considering we had just won our war of independence against King George of England. The shield on the eagle's chest represents Congress. It consists of red and white stripes with a blue bar. Those of course are the colors of the American flag. The red represents hardiness and valor. The white is purity and innocence. The blue, vigilance, perseverance, and justice. The eagle's beak holds a ribbon, E pluribus unum, meaning out of many, one. The eagle's talons hold both an olive branch, which is considered a peace offering, and arrows, an instrument of war. And this illustrates our sentiment. We want peace. But we are prepared to fight for it. The eagle's face originally faced the arrows, but President Harry Truman ordered it turned toward the olive branch.
There were, of course, 13 original American colonies, and that's why you see 13 stripes on our flag, 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 letters in the Latin above it, 13 letters and E pluribus unum, 13 stars above the eagle, 13 plums of feathers on each span of the eagle's wing, 13 bars on a shield, 13 leaves on the olive branch, 13 olive fruits, 13 arrows, 13 stars above the eagle, and the phrase Annuit cœptis also has 13 letters. You getting a trend here?
The words in God We Trust weren't added until 1957. Not in Latin, but in English, since nobody in America by 1957 could read or write Latin. By the way, our money is green merely because that ink was more durable than other colors. The pigment is also available in large quantities. So, our green money is green for practical reasons. Practical. That's a word, I think, that can be applied to a lot of American history.
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Ric Edelman: Happy Independence Day. We're gonna give our team Thursday and Friday off to help celebrate the holiday. I’m glad you’re with me here on The Truth About Your Future. If you like what you're hearing, be sure to follow and subscribe to the show, wherever you get your podcasts, Apple, Spotify, YouTube – and remember leave a review on Apple podcasts. I read them all! Never miss an episode of The Truth About Your Future. Follow and subscribe on your favorite podcast app.
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