10 Things You May Not Know About Dollar Bills

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• published: 07 Jan 2015
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Here are 10 things you may not know about dollar bills. When it comes to dollars, most people are quite skilled at spending them. A firm grasp on the trivia and history behind the bucks, however, is often a bit more elusive. Here are 10 things you may not know about dollar bills. Number 10. They’re on drugs. An estimated 90 percent of all circulating US paper currency has traces of cocaine on it. The levels typically aren’t dangerous, and sometimes the amount is thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand. Number 9. Bills are printed on really fancy paper. Much like expensive stationery, the stock used for money making is mostly cotton. The remaining parts are primarily linen fibers, ensuring the currency is strong enough to withstand handling, folding, and accidental washing. Number 8. There used to be 100 Thousand Dollar Bills. They didn’t circulate through public channels, but there were some printed in the 1930s to facilitate Federal Reserve Bank internal transactions. Number 7. Money lifespans vary significantly. On average, a 5-dollar bill only makes the rounds for 5 years. A hundred, on the other hand, can survive for up to 15. The currency with the shortest life expectancy is the 50, with an average survival time of just over 3 and a half years. Number 6. It costs money to make money. The expense involved in printing dollars depends upon the denomination. Singles run about a nickel a piece and 5s, 10s, and 20s around a dime. Inking hundreds costs just over 12 cents per note. Number 5. Old money gets recycled. Once it’s been taken out of circulation and shredded it goes on to be used in a number of secondary ways. Among those it’s sold to are Bureau of Printing and Engraving facility visitors, roof shingle makers, and the people who manufacture those novelty pens that have torn up bills in them. Number 4. If your money stops working, you can get a refund. Each year the US Treasury responds to around 30 thousand requests to have severely damaged and thus unusable bills replaced. The redemptions sent out total an average of 30 million dollars. Number 3. Our money contains a message from our founding fathers. In designing the seal that appears on backside of the 1 dollar bill, great thought was put into the words that would go on to future generations. The text on the pyramid side translates as, “A New Order of the Ages" and "Providence Has Favored Our Undertakings." Number 2. Bills are designed to glow under ultra-violet light. The larger ones are, anyway. Newer printings of 5 dollars and above denominations have security threads in them that shine various colors under UV bulbs. Number 1. The money tree died in 2006. The elm that’s depicted on the back of the 20 once stood near a doorway to the White House’s residential area. It was destroyed when a severe summer storm descended upon the mid-Atlantic region. What about American money most fascinates you?