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Take out a one dollar bill. 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.
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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.

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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.

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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.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST" is on
this  currency. The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means, "God has
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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.

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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".

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Share this page with someone, 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...