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.