Interesting Facts about the US Dollar

Updated: May 3, 2022

The United States Dollar is the most popular currency in the world. The USD is the currency abbreviation for the U.S. dollar ($), the official currency of the United States of America and the world's primary reserve currency over the past several decades. The word "dollar" is the English form of "thaler", a German word which means "person or thing from the valley". The US dollar is strong because it is the world's reserve currency and one that investors seek out in times of geopolitical instability. More than 65 countries peg their currencies to the U.S. dollar while five U.S. territories and eleven foreign nations use it as their official currency of exchange.

Now, let us check out some interesting facts about the United States Dollar

1. The $1 Bill is Cheap to Produce. According to the Federal Reserve, the $1 bill is the cheapest bill to produce at only 5.4 cents per note. The most expensive bill is the $50 bill, which costs roughly 19.4 cents per note.

2. The $1 Bill Circulation Life is 5.8 Years. The Federal Reserve has revealed that a $1 bill falls out of circulation every 5.8 years. The lowest lifespan for a bill is 4.5 years for the $10 bill, while the $100 bill has the longest at 15 years.

3. Money is also Covered in Cocaine. According to CNN, bacteria is not the only thing residing in the US Dollar. In fact, 99% of the paper money in circulation has traces of cocaine on it. Also, money found in cities such as Los Angeles and Miami, had cocaine show up on the currency 100 percent of the time.

4. The highest dollar denomination that has ever been in circulation is $10,000.

5. The George Washington portrait was first depicted on the $1 banknote in 1869.

6. $1 bills represent 45% of entire currency production.

7. A $1 bill has 13 arrows, 13 leaves, 13 stars, and 13 stripes, and it was a symbol of the original 13 colonies.

8. The largest dollar denomination ever printed was a banknote (gold certificate, to be accurate) of $100,000. It was intended for transactions between Federal Reserve banks, and it has never been in circulation.

9. There is $1.54 trillion of U.S. currency in circulation, and 97% of that is Federal Reserve Notes. Over two-thirds of all $100 bills are held outside the U.S.

10. According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing , US paper currency is made up of 75% cotton and 25% linen.

So, these are ten interesting facts about the US Dollar. Do you know of any more such interesting facts about the US Dollar. Be sure to leave a comment below!

Anyways, let's check out now how the present generation of the US Dollar Banknotes look like.

THE 1 DOLLAR BANKNOTE