Bill illustration by Luke Newell; Shutterstock.com (all other images)

Article Options

Presentation View
Teaching Resources

Language

Show Me the Money!

October 13, 2025
By Nicole Tocco
What You Need to Know About Money
Watch a video to learn more about the rich history of money

You probably don’t think too much about a dollar bill before you hand it over to pay for lunch. But our nation’s currency is way more interesting than you might think. For example, did you know that the U.S. government prints hundreds of millions of bills each month? Or that a dollar bill is really strong? You could fold it back and forth about 4,000 times before it would rip!  

Read on to learn more about our paper currency.

Front of the $1 Bill

Courtesy of National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History (Salmon P. Chase); Shutterstock.com (all other images)

1. The first $1 bill was printed in 1862. It showed Salmon P. Chase, not George Washington. At the time, Chase was the secretary of the Treasury. That’s the part of the government that handles the nation’s money.

2. Some people say this looks like a tiny owl. What do you think?

Back of the $1 Bill

Steve Stock/Alamy Stock Photo

1. Before the United States was a country, America was made up of 13 colonies. They were ruled by Great Britain. Many images on the $1 bill are in sets of 13. For example, there are 13 levels on this pyramid. Can you find any others?

2. MDCCLXXVI is 1776 in an ancient form of writing called Roman numerals. That’s the year the U.S. declared independence from Great Britain.

3. This is a bald eagle. The mighty bird is one of our nation’s symbols.

Real or Fake?

U.S. bills have many special features. That makes it harder for people to print fake bills and pass Them off as the real thing. Here’s how to tell if a bill is real.

U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing ($5 bill); Shutterstock.com (magnifying glass)

  • Bills $5 and higher have tiny words that you need a magnifying glass to see!


Shutterstock.com

  • Hold any bill $5 or higher up to a light. You should see a hidden design called a watermark.
  • Bills $10 and higher have color-changing ink. When you tilt the bill, the number in the lower right corner changes from copper to green.


1. What evidence does the author give to support the idea that a dollar bill is strong?
2. What is the special meaning behind the Roman numerals on the back of the $1 bill?
3. What is a watermark, according to the article? Why do some bills have watermarks?

videos (2)
videos (2)
Skills Sheets (2)
Skills Sheets (2)
Games (1)
TEACHER SUPPORT (1)
Text-to-Speech