The Dollar Bill Deconstructed

The Dollar Bill Deconstructed

 
American currency has quite a storied history. American bills have come a long way from their humble beginnings in the 18^th century. Over the last decade, the US has given its currency a more secure makeover (weird fact of the day: it costs 12.5 cents to create a hundred dollar bill).

It was a wise choice; according to the US Federal Reserve, there are 34.5 billion notes in circulation, worth a total of $1.23 trillion. For every 10,000 genuine notes, there is 1 counterfeit. This works out to 3.45 million fake notes in circulation.

As of late, there has been much hype behind the possibility of putting a woman’s face on American currency. President Obama recently mentioned that he received a note from a little girl who questioned why there were no women on any bills. However, there has been one woman featured on American green. Martha Washington, the wife of George Washington and original First Lady, was featured on the dollar bill in the 1800’s.

Original infographic from: McGraw Hill