By way of Joyce Brindley
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... Otherwise, they will probably
never know...
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