What do the symbols on the U.S. one-dollar bill mean?

If you've ever looked carefully at a U.S. one-dollar bill, you've probably noticed some mysterious symbols and Latin phrases. What do these symbols stand for? Why are they on there? Marshall Brain breaks it down for you in this episode.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to brain Stuff from how stuff works dot com
where smart Happens. Hi am our Braining with today's question,
what do the symbols on the back of the US
one dollar bill mean? Pull out a one dollar bill

(00:22):
from your wallet and take a good look at the
back of it. The Great Seal of the United States
appears on the back side of the United States one
dollar bill. The reverse of the seal appears on the left,
and the obverse side of the seal appears on the right. First,
a little background on this seal. The Continental Congress decided

(00:42):
to create a national seal or emblem on July four,
seventy six, the same day that the Congress adopted the
Declaration of Independence. The Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,
and John Adams to a committee to come up with
a national seal. It took six years, three committees, several
artistic contributions, and many revisions before the final seal was

(01:06):
adopted on June twenty two. The unfinished pyramid and the
eye and a triangle on the reverse side are classic symbols.
The Egyptian pyramid is a symbol of strength and duration.
The thirteen steps indicate the original number of US states,
and the thirteen steps leading to an unfinished summit indicates

(01:29):
future growth of the nation. The eye is known as
the Eye of Providence and is surrounded by rays of light.
The single eye shows up in Egyptian mythology is the
eye of Horace, an ancient god of the Egyptians. The
eye represented wisdom, health, and prosperity. Some people think that
the all seeing eye is a symbol of freemasonry, a

(01:52):
fraternal organization. Here are the other symbols on the Great Seal.
If you look at your dollar bill, you can follow
along two. Secretary of Congress Charles Thompson adopted the bald
eagle as the prominent feature of the design. The shield
is shown on the breast of the eagle without any support,
indicating the self reliance of the United States. Thirteen stripes

(02:15):
appear on the shield, signifying the thirteen original states. These
stripes support and unite with the top band, which represents Congress.
The eagles talents hold thirteen arrows in the right and
an olive branch in the left. These symbolize the power
of war and peace, respectively. The number of arrows represents
the thirteen original states. As well. The constellation of thirteen

(02:39):
stars above the eagle's head signifies the United States rank
among other sovereign powers. The motto e plurbus unam, written
on the banner held in the eagle's beak, is Latin
meeting out of many one, conveying the union of the States.
On the reverse side the unfinished pyramid, then the eye

(03:00):
and the triangle. Above the pyramid, the Roman numerals M, D, C, C,
L x x v I appear on the base of
the pyramid and translates to seventeen seventy six, the year
of independence. Above the eye are the Latin words annuit capitus.
This translates to he has favored our undertakings. This line

(03:23):
is associated with the eye of Providence. Below the pyramid
are the Latin words novis ordos sec laura, meaning a
new order of the ages, referring to the birth of
the United States in seventeen seventy six. In nineteen thirty five,
the Department of Treasury proposed the use of the obverse
and reverse sides of the Great Seal on the back

(03:43):
of a one dollar bill, originally with the obverse on
the left side and the reverse on the right before
approving the design, President Franklin Roosevelt decided to switch the
order of the sides of the seal and then added
the Great Seal under the reverse and end of the
United States under the obverse. So the next time you

(04:04):
look at a one dollar bill, you'll know what's going
on with all that strange symbology. Be sure to check
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