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The United States Mint has made several attempts to introduce a coin which would replace the dollar bill. Each time, the end result has been mass production of coins which end up stored in vaults due to lack of demand. Many other countries, including Australia and our neighbor Canada, have replaced their “dollar bill” with a coin version. So why do Americans prefer the bill over the coin so much?

The U.S. Mint pumps out 3.4 billion fresh single dollar bills each year. The truth is, dollar bills wear out in about 18 months while the coins last approximately 30 years. While each coin is more expensive to produce than a bill, the difference in time spent in circulation would mean the overall cost of having a dollar coin instead of a bill over time would be much lower. With this huge of a difference, wouldn’t it be more economical as a nation to utilize the coins? In 2002, the Government Accountability Office stated that our nation could save $500 million a year in production costs if we switched to coins instead of bills. Given the fact that taxpayers could save several hundred million dollars per year just by implementing the dollar coin and phasing out the dollar bill, wouldn’t the appeal to everyone? So just exactly how much is it worth to be able to have a dollar bill instead of a dollar coin?

The many advantages of a dollar coin are not only from a tax savings perspective. Vending machines would be more accessible as individuals are more likely to put coins in a machine instead of dig out a dollar bill. Coins are better for the environment than bills. Less paper is used to print them, the last longer than bills, and less energy is spent producing them. Coins are also easier than bills to count than bills since they don’t stick together and they can be weighed, whereas the bill cannot. Coins are also healthier than bills. Since they aren’t fibrous like the bill, they don’t absorb as many germs or dirt. Coins are washable by simply running under soap and water, but bills are much more difficult to clean without risking damage to the bill.

Current complaints regarding the dollar coin are that it is too close in size to a quarter. People also do not like the added weight in their pockets compared to a dollar bill. Since paper money can be folded and shaped to fit nearly anywhere, it is easier to carry than the coin. Other disadvantages would include the upgrades required to implement the new coins.  Many cash registers and the aforementioned vending mentions would all require equipment upgrades in order to be able to accept the new dollar coin. Counterfeiting is much easier to regulate with bills than coins since new technology allows for special inks, watermarks, and paper. Coins are much easier to counterfeit, therefore, perhaps a savings in created in the form of economic stability.

All in all, there are both advantages and disadvantages to each form of money. However, given our nation’s current financial struggles, the American people may begin to push for every dollar savings they can which could result in a look at the bottom line. In addition, as the “Green Initiative” spreads, the idea of the coin may go further from an environmental perspective. Yet, the fact remains, many attempts have been made to implement a dollar coin into circulation without success. Americans are just hesitant to adopt this new standard and it could remain a difficult sell. Only time will tell what the future of our money looks like. 

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Did you know that the highest denomination of bank note most frequently used by Americans on an everyday basis is the the United States twenty dollar bill? It is indeed, and this is largely because the twenty dollar bill is arguably the only banknote dispensed by the Banking Auto Teller Machines, or ATM, in the United States. This is probably because it would cost the banks more money to modify these machines to become compatible in dispensing other type of bills. The United States twenty dollar bill is also the most used denomination for withdrawals and cashing in checks.

According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the average life span of a twenty dollar bill in circulation is twenty-five months or two years, before it succumbs to wear and tear and needs to be disposed and replaced. It is also said that twenty dollar bills are just a little over one-fifth of all United States paper currency produced today. These bills are delivered in violet straps by the Federal Reserve Banks for dissemination into public circulation.

The portrait of the seventh United States President, Andrew Jackson, is depicted on the obverse side of the bill, although his actions towards the Native Americans during his tenure leaves a lot to be questioned on the suitability of his representation of the twenty dollar bill. This also fuelled one of the bill’s many alternate monikers,  the ‘Jackson’. The twenty dollar bill is also known as a ‘double sawbuck’, a ‘twenty banger’, and a ‘twomp’. Apart from President Jackson, other famous historical figures, from Presidents to Statesmen, and even American businessmen, that have graced the twenty dollar bills are Alexander Hamilton, Stephen Decatur, James Garfield, Daniel Manning, John Marshall, Hugh McCulloch, George Washington, and Grover Cleveland. President Andrew Jackson became the permanent fixture on the twenty dollar bill from the year 1928 onwards. The visual rendering of the White House is also featured on the reverse side of the bill.

First appearing as a demand note, the twenty made its debut in 1861, and it subsequently evolved with the many classifications and categorizations of the United States currency system, from United States note, national bank note , gold certificate, silver certificate, treasury coin note, and to the current Federal Reserve bank note it is today.

The current series of twenty dollar bills we see today was released on October 9, 2003, and it comes with a light background shading of green and yellow. The oval border previously surrounding Andrew Jackson’s portrait was not included in the new design, with background images of eagles and such added in. The oval border was also omitted out on the riverside side of the bill where the White House is now featured. Scattered all around the reverse side of the bill are also a lot of small and faded numerals of twenties, and this design is formed in the EURion constellation, a pattern of symbols found on new banknote designs since 1996. The pattern is said to be instrumental in preventing counterfeiters using color photocopiers to forge dollar bills. 

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The Canadian Dollar, like its name suggests, is the major currency of Canada. To tell it apart from other dollar denominated currencies around the world, the Canadian dollar adopted the letter ‘C’ in front of its dollar ($) sign. Currently, the Canadian Dollar is amongst the top-ten most traded currency in the world.

Dating back to 1858, the first Canadian coins which was struck in 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, and 20 cent denominations, were issued by the Province of Canada. Other coin denominations like 50 cents, 1 dollar, 2 dollars, 5 dollars, and 10 dollars were issued much later to meet the public demand. Canadian Coins are minted and produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. The facility is located  in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and currently issues coins in denominations of 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 cent, 50 cent, 1 dollar, and 2 dollars. These coins are also called, in respective order, a penny, a nickel, a dime, a quarter, 50¢ piece, a loony, and a toonie.

The designs on the reverse and obverse side of these coins also usually revolves around Canadian symbols, like wildlife and the effigy of Queen Elizabeth the Second, although some pennies and dimes of the yesteryears, which are still in circulation, carries the image of King George the Sixth.

Issued between 1813 and 1815, largely due to the War of 1812 where it was used during the emergency, the first form of paper money issued in Canada were the British Army Bills. These were denominated between 1 and 400 dollars. The first banknotes, however, were issued in 1817 by the Bank of Montreal. Other chartered banks around the country also followed suit thereafter and began issuing these notes for several decades to come. Prior to the year 1858, many notes were issued in currencies like shillings, pounds and dollars, resulting in varied denominations such as 1 dollar, 2 dollars, 3 dollars, 4 dollars, 5 dollars, 10 dollars, 20 dollars, 25 dollars, 40 dollars, 50 dollars, 100 dollars, 500 dollars, and 1000 dollars. This ceased after 1858 though, and only dollar denominations were used from then on.

The Province of Canada began issuing paper money beginning 1841, and these notes were produced for the government by the Bank of Montreal between 1842 and 1862. The notes were issued in denominations of 4 dollars, 5 dollars, 10 dollars, 20 dollars, 50 dollars, and 100 dollars. The Province of Canada began officially issuing its own paper money in 1866, and these came in denominations of 1 dollar, 2 dollars, 5 dollars, 10 dollars, 20 dollars, 50 dollars, 100 dollars, and 500 dollars. After the year 1896, denominations of 500 dollars, 1000 dollars, 5000 dollars, and 50,000 dollars were issued and used for bank transactions only.

In 1935, the Bank of Canada was founded and began issuing notes in denominations of 1 dollar, 2 dollars, 5 dollars, 10 dollars, 20 dollars, 50 dollars, 100 dollars, and 500 dollars, and 1000 dollars, officially ceasing the currency issuing operation of the chartered banks in 1944. As part of the fight against money laundering and organized crime, in the year 2000, the Bank of Canada stopped issuing 1000 dollar notes and began withdrawing them from general circulation.

To date, Canadian dollar banknotes issued by the Bank of Canada remains of legal tender in Canada. Just as American Dollars are accepted by many Canadian merchants and businesses in cities which are near the American/Canadian border, the Canadian Dollars are also accepted by some businesses in the northernmost cities of the United States.

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The United States Dollar is the single most recognized paper currency in the world. Not only does support all major transactions, whether domestically and internationally, but it is also the most used and preferred currency in the business world today, internationally. Understanding and knowing the value and the rate of the United States Dollar against other major foreign currencies and the impacts it has on the financial markets can do a lot for those who have or are planning to invest in the international financial markets. The rate of the United States dollar has and will continue to be the fundamental basis for many other international currencies, for many years to come.

The rate of the United Dollars is also the most telling indicator in gauging the status of the United States economy. This is because by simply knowing its rate, one will also be able to compare the strength of the economy of the United States against the economies of the nations and countries around the world. Because the international currency markets are based on the simple practice of trading with multiple different currencies, knowing the rate of the United States dollar will give an extra edge against the odds of making a profit when investing in this form of market. This is because the currency market is the single largest market in the world and the the United States dollar, given its vast use and utilization, plays a huge and significant role in ensuring a constant and lucrative worth in gain upon investment.

The rate of the United States dollar will also determine many other things, like the price of groceries or clothing, to spending on vacations overseas through exchange rates, to the price of gas and utilities. How much value it carries depends solely on the economy of the United States. The United States Dollar is also kept as a reserve currency amongst nations and countries, all around the world, which gives it that added influence in determining the strength of the global economy. It is also used as the major form of payment for raw materials, especially in the energy sector, making it even that more indispensable. Knowing the rate of the United States dollar will also tremendously help in analyzing the risk of investing in the forex market, so being able to tell how much the dollar is worth will allow investors to identify where to best trade their investments to allow a profitable income to be made from the international currency exchange markets.

It is safe to conclude that the rate of the United States dollar is the single driving force in the currency and financial markets today, and while other international currencies may influence the markets to a certain degree, the rate of the United States dollar is still the most important as it is considered the most credible and safest investment in term of currency trading. There are so many ways to learn about the rate of the United States dollar and its correlation with the international currency market and the internet is one of them.

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Throughout history, the dollar bill has seen the best and worst of times, and the current economic state of the country leaves very little to say about the positive impacts it once had in the international markets. The trillion dollar question that’s been running through the minds of so many today is: will the US dollar continue to decline in value or will it elusively begin to rise against all odds and obstacles, and make a come back again, more stronger and resilient than ever?

The value of the dollar bill declines when it loses its value in correlation to other foreign currencies. This results in diminished purchasing power on foreign trade, which will surely increase the price of imports, further causing inflation. When this happens, foreign investors will begin to sell of their US holdings, and the imminent crumbling of the financial market will ensue. It doesn’t help that the country’s current deficits amounting to trillions of dollars is owed to foreign countries through heavy lending, neither.

Due to this and much more, the dollar has lost almost half its value in the last decade alone, further fuelling speculation amongst creditor nations that the United States Government isn’t doing all it can in supporting the US dollar, partly because a weaker dollar would mean that the United States will not have to fork out as much money to pay back their creditors. The drawback to this is, these countries, realizing this, would revert their reserves to other more stable currencies like the Euro to minimize their loses. If this continue on the value of US investments will begin to erode, further invigorating inflation and the collapse of the US dollar.

The introduction of the Euro could also mean the probable replacement of the dollar as the preferred major international reserve currency, as is seen in the current oil trading markets which are proposing the use of the Euro instead of the dollar to aid trade. One of the largest investors of the US dollar is Japan, which means that in the case of an economic surge, the country, in its interest, could sells off its US holdings, increasing the national prime lending rate and strengthening the yen against the dollar.

Given all these, many financial experts say that the US dollar will not continue to collapse because it is backed by the US government, making it the world’s safest reserve currency. Thanks to the emerging of more and more sophisticated financial markets today, the US dollar has also become a universal medium of exchange, and a transition to another currency seems all too bleak. Another reason why the US dollar will probably remain its hold globally is because it is currently the only currency accepted in any oil contracts, a source of energy that the entire world is so dependable on.

In short, it is not in the best interest of the international communities to allow the US dollar to collapse, as so much has been vested in it, and for credible reasons. This alone would ensure the strength and prosperity of the dollar bill in the many years to come.

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The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is currently the largest and only producer of all legal tender United States currency today. It prints billions of Federal Reserve Notes every year and delivers them to the designated Federal Reserve Banks, to be issued and circulated accordingly. These Federal Reserve Notes are produced at two of its current facilities located in Washington D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas. Tours are offered to the public at these buildings and it showcases the various steps of United States currency production. The tour usually begins with the process of sorting out the large sheets of blank currency papers, closely followed by the intricate methods of getting the dyes ready, to the actual printing procedures itself, and ending with the ready to be spent dollar bills.

Apart from currency production, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing also plays an important role in advising other Federal managed agencies on document security matters. It also processes claims for the redemption of all United States currency that have been mutilated. It prides itself in its continuous effort in the research and development area which focuses on the continued use of state-of-the-art automation and counterfeit prevention technologies for use in the production of United States currency, further guaranteeing its integrity.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing began its operation in the United States Treasury building back in 1862, resulting from a legislation which was enacted to help fund the Civil War. This legislation authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to issue paper currency in lieu of coins, largely because of the slowly diminishing funds that was desperately needed to sponsor the war. Before long, in 1877, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was entrusted with the sole responsibility of producing all United States paper currency.

Prior to this, a private firm produced Demand Notes in sheets of four, and these sheets were then sent to the Treasury Department where dozens of clerks signed the notes, with another multitude of workers cutting the sheets and trimming it down by hand. This process eventually became mechanized and was moved down to the building’s basement, giving birth to the Bureau, an important umbrella of the Treasury which proved to be efficient as well as practical.

Before it was officially recognized in congress and was given specific allocations of operating funds through various legislations, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, in prior to the year 1875, was more commonly known as First Division of National Currency Bureau. Other of its failed labels include, Printing Bureau, Small Notes Bureau, Currency Department, and Small Notes Room.

Apart from printing currency, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is also given the task to produce revenue stamps, treasury securities, military commissions, award certificates, invitations and admission cards, different types of identification cards, passports, forms, and other special security documents for a variety of Government agencies. This additional responsibilities which was taken on by the Bureau beginning 1894, established it as the nation’s pioneer security documents printer which responds in like to the United States Government, both in times of peace and war.

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Tired of waiting a long time before you get a hit on the banknotes that you’ve been tracking online? Or even more frustrating, have you never had any of your bills ever trigger a hit, that made you lose interest in the hobby altogether? Fret no more because here’s some tips and hints on how you can maximize your dollar bill tracking experience, and take the hobby to a whole new level you never thought possible.

To effectively improve the probability you attaining a hit, try spending your dollar bills in places with a higher turnaround of transactions, in locations where more people are more likely to receive the banknotes you’re tracking as change. Look out for supermarkets, affordable eateries, gas stations, or your local convenient store and coffee shops, as opposed to vending machines or high-end merchants where people usually pay for goods with their credit cards.

The more likely the chances are of your one dollar or five dollar bills end up as change for the person standing behind you in line in any of these places, the higher the odds are of your bills ending up on the currency tracking website of your choice. Also, pay attention to the time of the day that you’re spending your dollar bill. Try to avoid spending your banknotes just before store closing-time, because your dollar bills are more likely to be stored inside a safe for weeks, or end up in the cash deposit machine at the bank.

Currency tracking experts also suggest that you don’t splurge all your money in one location. You want to diversify the places that your dollar bills are spent in, especially the smaller denominations. Carry as much of those one dollar and five dollar bills that you wish to track as you can, as this will increase the probability of it spreading out and being distributed to all sorts of people, that might spend it again, and again. This gives your banknotes more mileage and it also broadens the likely-hood of your dollar bills ending up in somewhere interesting, probably a different country.

Some currency tracking aficionados also swears-by the technique of marking your dollar bills. You can try hand-writing a short message by requesting the subsequent owners of your dollar bills to visit the currency tracking website that you’re on. If you’re looking at tracking large numbers of notes, then using a small ink-stamp would make more sense. Some people also just simply circle the serial and series numbers and cleverly include the website address around the edge of the dollar bill, without making it too obvious.
But be careful, since the administrators of TrackDollarBills.com are prohibiting such a method you may be banned !

Patience is paramount. Don’t be disheartened or lose interest just because you don’t see a hit within a couple of days or weeks. Some hobbyist will enter over a thousand bills before they see a hit, while others receives a hit within a couple of hours. With a little luck and some persistence, tracking your dollar bill will eventually become a frequent past time that you’ll enjoy indulging in.

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Initiated by the National Banking Act of 1863, and issued through banks that were bonded by the Unites States Government, National Bank Notes were one of the more controversial United States paper currencies in history. It is said that the involvement of the United States Government in securing these banknotes was due to several factors, amongst them being its self interest to help raise money for the Treasury during the Civil War, as well as a possible political debt that the Republican Party owed to its Whig and Federalist Party antecedents. This exploit, although politically impracticable during that time, was said to be made possible by the establishment of the said National Banking Act of 1863.

Before issuing these notes, the selected federal chartered banks were required to first deposit equally valued United States Bonds or Securities with the United States Treasury as a form of collateral. This was probably because before federal banknotes were more commonly used, local banks would issue their own banknotes which was secured by nothing but their own goodwill, making it somewhat unreliable. The value of National Bank Notes, however, would still remain in case the issuing banks fails or even if the banking system becomes solvent, due to the fact that its value was somewhat guaranteed by the United States Treasury.

Also known as the National Currency, National Bank Notes were also introduced in the effort to assist local banks create a much newer and profitable system of distributing banknotes. These Federal Banks, or also known as National Banks, would print up banknotes up to ninety percent of the value of the United States Bonds or Securities they have in holding with the United States Treasury. The masses trusted these federal guaranteed banknotes better because of the lower exposure towards unforeseeable liabilities it proposes. This practice also helped guard the public against fraudulent and badly managed banks, whose banknotes might become valueless.

National Bank Notes had a very identical appearance to the paper currencies which were produced between the years 1929 and 1990’s, although they carried some distinctive characteristics. One of the most obvious difference is the names, towns, and states of the federal banks that these banknotes were issued from, which were printed on the notes itself, as well as the signatures of the respective bank’s presidents and cashiers.

In view of the fact that National Bank Notes were not completely backed by gold, the contract, like that of United States Notes, declared that they were not for the payment of duties on imports or interest on the public debt.

The reign of these National Bank Notes were short-lived though, as the United States Government ceased its circulation during the great depression, in the early 1930’s. This was probably due to the panic withdrawals of deposits by a lot of people who lost confidence in the local banks at that time.

Today, National Bank Notes are religiously collected by currency hobbyist all around the world, especially those in the United States, where these notes are fastidiously studied and kept, often fetching high value amongst enthusiasts.

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Super Dollars are the most perfect counterfeit of the US paper currency in recent history. The forgery of these super dollars, or also widely known as super notes, is so shrouded in controversy and mystery, that the identity of the organization or government involved remains unknown until today, although this did little in preventing all sorts of rumors and buzz being speculated on the matter. The term “super” probably derived from the the fact that the technology engaged in producing these notes is without doubt, state-of-the-art. Super dollars are also officially known as PN-14342, a categorization order originating from the US Secret Service.

The United States Government, at one stage, alleged that North Korea may have something to do with producing these super notes. Many also say that this lucid operation was stemming out from countries like Iran, China, and Russia. The most controversial theory to date, though, is the possibility of direct CIA involvement.

North Korea’s alleged involvement brewed from several North Korean renegades who revealed the account of this underground operation, as suspicious as their stories were, in thorough detail. Some have accused these defectors of sabotage and that these nonsensical fabrications were inspired by nothing but money. It was also alleged that the distribution process of these super dollars was piped and networked through international crime syndicates and more shockingly, some of the North Korean diplomats themselves. So serious were these allegations that the US, at one point, was threatening a separate sanction from the existing nuclear one, against North Korea, before the entire issue was dropped altogether.

This serious claim took a major hit in early 2007 conversely, as the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a German daily, disputed the North Korean charge and shifted the heat back to the US by asserting otherwise. According to them, their research showed that the real masterminds behind the super dollars is no other than the CIA itself, through a secret printing facility close to Washington state. According to the newspaper, these super dollars, which are being used to facilitate secret CIA operations, was what US intelligence desperately needed, as they are not subject to congressional approvals or scrutiny, ultimately giving the CIA power to do as it well please. An expert on counterfeiting also alleges that the super dollar is so superior in quality that only an outfit like the CIA is capable of orchestrating such a feat.

More and more accusations have spawned since and as ludicrous as some of these allegations may be, the one thing that everyone agrees on is the ingenuity of the forgery itself. The main reason why the super dollar is so intelligible is because it is designed with its security features in mind. The forgers behind the super dollar knew that essentials like the red and blue security fibers, the security thread, and the watermark are the most important characteristic of the currency that they must first master to counterfeit, apart from using the highest quality of paper and ink. Such intricacy goes into recreating these notes that even experts need to put it through rigorous inspections before deeming it as bogus money. It is also acknowledged that these super dollars are produced using the intaglio and typographic printing processes, just as the originals. It is said that in every 10,000 dollar notes circulating internationally, one is a super dollar.

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It is generally known that the selection of designs and portraits on the dollar bill is decided by the Secretary of the Treasury, with the advice of authorized official from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, after a thorough review by the Commission on Fine Arts.

It is also acknowledged that all of the portraits on the dollar bill are of deceased individuals of significant historical importance. This is because the Unites States Code, Title 31, Section 5114(b), forbids the depiction of any living persons on the dollar bill. The designs and portraits on the dollar bill today were chosen back in 1928, and in 1996, security enhanced variations were introduced in response to growing threats of currency counterfeiters worldwide.

The dollar bills in circulation today features the portraits and designs of George Washington displaying the number “1” between obverse and reverse of the Great Seal on the $1 bill, Thomas Jefferson with the design of “The Signing of the Declaration of Independence” on the $2 bill, Abraham Lincoln with the design of the Lincoln Memorial on the $5 bill, Alexander Hamilton with the design of the US Treasury Building on the $10 bill, Andrew Jackson with the design of the White House on the $20 bill, Ulysses S. Grant with the design of the US Capitol on the $50 bill, and Benjamin Franklin with the design of the Independence Hall on the $100 bill.

There are also several other depicted portraits on other denominations of the dollar bill which ceased in circulation back in 1969. These are the $500 bill displaying the portrait of William McKinley, the $1000 bill bearing a portrait of Grover Cleveland, the $5000 bill bearing a portrait of James Madison, the $10000 bill bearing a portrait of Salmon P. Chase, and the $100000 bill displaying a portrait of Woodrow Wilson.

No records have been found to date, however, to suggest the reasoning behind the selection of certain Presidents and statesmen on these various denominations.

To help safeguard against counterfeiters, the US government is expected to redesign the dollar bill every decade or so. The dollar bill is less exposed to the threats of forgery through the significant improvements in its security features, the tighter laws governing counterfeiters, and the ongoing effort to educate the public on the subject matter. Basically the new designs are targeted to be safer which makes it harder to forge and easier to check, smarter to stay ahead of tech-savvy forgers, and more secure, which help protect the integrity of the currency.

The subtle background colors of this new enhance designs is probably the most noticeable difference on the new dollar bills. This frustrates forgers as it makes the dollar bill more intricate and harder to counterfeit. This significant change also helps distinguish the different denominations because of the obvious contrast in background colors.

Despite all these added features, the redesigned dollar bills continue to preserve its distinct size, look and feel of the original dollar bills of the yesteryears, making it the most recognizable and travelled paper money in the world.

This continuous effort to honor the previous portraits and designs of the dollar bill can be credited to The Department of the Treasury. The older designed dollar bills are also never recalled or exchanged upon the pumping-in of the newer more secure currency. This process is methodically carried out in a controlled and purposeful manner, usually in stages, being careful not to overwhelm the financial markets. As a result, and due to the billions of dollars circulating worldwide, which is deliberately unaffected by this change, the value of the dollar bill has in time continue to strengthen in value.

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The dollar bill has come a long way. Over the centuries, it has changed hands trillions of times, owned, sold and traded by millions of people, from all walks of life, and travelled the whole world x number of times over. So its no wonder that the dollar bill today has adopted quite a number of nicknames and colloquialisms along its many journeys.

One of the most famous nicknames that the dollar bill has been tagged with is buck. This reference is said to have originated from the fur trade back in the 18th century. Another nickname commonly used until today when referring to the dollar bill is greenback. The name was exclusively applied to the dollar bill during the creation of the Demand Note dollar in the 19th century. Its reference is said to be due to the black and green printing on the back side of the dollar bill, hence greenback! Accredited to Abraham Lincoln, the greenback was used to finance the cost of the American Civil War, up north.

K, is a suffix used to describe the multiple of a thousand dollars. For example, instead of saying eight thousand dollars, one would simply say $8K instead. K, is said to have originated from the first letter of the word Kilo, which is a metric system terminology used to indicate a thousand units. The word, grand, is also another colloquialism frequently used when referring to a multiple of a thousand dollars. People sometimes shorten this designation to the letter, G. For example, 50G would mean fifty thousand dollars. Dollar bills are often referred to by their assigned denominations as well, such as five or ten.

The one dollar bill is sometimes referred to as a “single”, and the two dollar bill a “tom” or a “deuce”. Five dollar bills are sometimes referred to as a “fiver” or “fin”, and even a “five-spot”, whereas the ten dollar bill has been called a “Hamilton”, referring to the portrait of Alexander Hamilton, a “ten-spot”, or a “sawbuck”.

The twenty dollar bill has been given nicknames such as “Jackson,” a “twenty-banger,” a “twomp,” and a “double sawbuck”. Apart from the nickname fifty, the fifty dollar bill has also been referred to as a “half C,” a “half century,” and a “half yard”. A “Benjamin,” a “Benjie,” a “Frank”, a C-note, a Century Note, a “bill”, a “bigface” and even a “large”, are all nicknames given to the one hundred dollar bill.

The dollar bill has also been referred to fondly in different languages. Puerto Ricans and Mexicans living in the US would refer to the dollar bill as peso. Piastre, which is a French word for a unit of currency, is also another moniker used to describe the dollar bill. Mexicans would sometimes refer to the dollar bill as “en inglés” when paying for things with the currency. Coco, another nickname for the dollar bill in Peru, is a pet name given to the portrait of George Washington on the one dollar bill.

Whatever you may call the dollar bill, it is safe to say that it has such a strong influence and an inseparable attachment in our lives that we begin making it our own by giving it labels we identify most closely with. Are there any other nicknames that you’ve heard the dollar bill being called? Please share them with us here.

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Did you know that less that 1/100 of 1% of dollar bills in circulation today are counterfeit, which is a very small percentage given its incentives and the technological advances readily accessible today. This is probably because of the recently enhanced security features of the dollar bill and the stiffer criminal penalties associated to counterfeiting, which discourages counterfeiters from venturing into US currencies.

Nevertheless, given the amount of dollar bills that is in current circulation internationally, the chances of you stumbling across a note or two are pretty good, most times without us even realizing it. Mind you, finding yourself in possession of one, knowingly, is a federal offence. Having that said, prepared below are just some of the basic easy to follow steps of detecting counterfeit dollar bills:

1. People who fairly handle money quit a bit will be able to identify a fake dollar bill right away simply by touching it. Even if you don’t handle money that often, you would have felt enough genuine money to be able to tell a real one from a fake, just by paying close attention. The surface of a genuine dollar bill is slightly raised, which makes it somewhat three dimensional, an effect produced during the intaglio process. Most fake dollar bills have flat surfaces.

2. Check the printing quality of the dollar bill. Genuine dollar bills are printed using a procedure that negates digital printing and it’s so easy to spot, although this replication process may be achievable by the more experiences counterfeiters. Look out for blurry spots, smears, fine details which may appear dull, designs, portraits, and features, which are distinctive especially to that particular denomination in question. You can easily do this by comparing two notes of the same value together.

3. All dollar bills have little red and blue fibers which are embedded within the note. Counterfeit notes will have the detail printed on instead, that’s how you tell.

4. One of the most famous ways of detecting counterfeit money is by holding it up to the light and looking out for the watermark. The watermark on genuine dollar bills must match the print. Another feature to look out for, especially for the $5, $10, $20, $50 or $100 bills, is the security thread, which is a plastic strip embedded and runs, vertically, from top to the bottom of the dollar bill.

5. Take note of the serial number and make sure they match. The serial numbers should be spread out evenly in space and are perfectly aligned. Another easy way to spot counterfeit is by making sure that serial numbers don’t match. Serial numbers are distinct on each dollar bill.

6. The newer denominations of $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills have the color-shifting ink feature. The ink will appear to change in color when tilted to a certain angle, a feature which is difficult to replicate by counterfeiters.

7. Last but not least, hold your dollar bill under a black light to see if the security strip glows. The $5 bill will have a blue glow, the $10 orange, the $20 green, the $50 yellow, and the $100 bill red.
Hope the information above helps you identify counterfeit dollar bills better. If you have any other ideas or tips, please feel free to post your comments below.

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With 23 different series of dollar bills issued and 12 different Federal Reserve Banks, there are more than 250 different notes that you could collect. Sounds easy right? Not really.

While it’s possible to collect one of each note, it would be a daunting task, so many collectors choose different things to collect. In addition, some of the dollar bills are very old and would be hard to find. But then again, the thrill is in the hunt, isn’t it.

The best way to start your collection is to choose exactly what you want to collect, meaning what type of serial numbers appeal to you, or you could decide to collect only dollar bills printed at very specific Federal Reserve Banks.

For example many collectors collect certain serial numbers. The most popular serial numbers to collect are the very low ones, but in reality, the very high serial numbers are the most rare because not every series reaches a high number. The more rare, the more valuable.

Some collectors look for ladder serial numbers like 12345678 or descending serial numbers like 87654321, while others look for solid or near solid serial numbers such as 11111111 or 222222212. Still other collectors look for serial numbers that repeat like 123123123, binary serial numbers that have only two digits in any combination like 113311133.

You could also collect what are called birthday dollar bills, these are dollar bills whose serial number contains a date, like 1964, etc.

Star notes have an asterisk or star either before or after the serial number. This happens because of production errors. An asterisk is put in place of a number so that the correct count of the dollar bills in a particular serial number run can be produced without having to repeat the serial number.

What type of dollar bills you choose to collect is entirely up to you, but try to be selective with regards to condition and rarity. If you find a dollar bill that appeals to you and it isn’t in the greatest condition, you still may want to add it to your collection until you can find another one in much better condition. How rare a particular dollar bill is may, in some cases, outweigh the overall condition.

What do you look for in your dollar bill collection? Do you look for particular serial numbers or a particular Federal Reserve Bank? Let us know!

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If you look at a dollar bill you will see a series of numbers called the serial number. The serial number is jam packed with information about that particular dollar bill. Also on the dollar bill you will see a little seal to the left of George Washington with a letter in it. This letter can tell you where the dollar bill was printed.

The Federal Reserve has 12 locations, or districts scattered around the United States. These districts print the money we use, and each district is assigned a letter of the alphabet and a number. This letter and number also make up the first two or three figures in the serial number of the dollar bill.

For example, Boston is A1, New York- B2, Philadelphia-C3, Cleveland-D4, Richmond-E5, Atlanta-F6, Chicago-G7, St. Louis-H-8, Minneapolis-I9, Kansas City-J10, Dallas-K11, and San Francisco-L12.

The last letter of the serial number represents how many times the Bureau of Engraving and Printing have used that particular sequence of serial numbers. A is the first time B is the second, and so on and so on. There is one run for each letter of the alphabet and 32 bills per run, so there are only 832 bills that have the same serial number. Cool huh?!

In the lower right hand area of a dollar bill between George Washington and the signature of the Secretary of Treasury there is a series date. This date represents the year the bill was printed. Sometimes there will be a letter after this date.

There is not a series for every year and the dollar bill is changed for only a few reasons. Either a new Secretary of Treasury is appointed, the design of the bill itself has been changed, or a new Treasurer of the United States is appointed.

If a design change or new Secretary of Treasury is appointed then the year will change. If a new Treasurer is appointed the letter behind the date will change.

To many collectors the serial number is one of the most important things they consider. Some collectors try to find sequential serial numbers, such as 12345678, others look for certain letters, dates, etc.

Do you ever look at the serial numbers on your money for patterns or interesting number combinations? If so, let us know what you’ve found!

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