In World War II, Germany tried to collapse the British economy by dropping millions of counterfeit bills over London.
100 Mind-Blowing Bills Facts
The U.S. treasury once printed $100,000 bills. Between December 18, 1934, and January 9, 1935, the notes with Woodrow Wilson’s face were issued to Federal Reserve Banks but never went out to the general public—which is probably for the best. Can you imagine losing that bill?
Flamingos eat with their heads turned upside down. Flamingos are unable to eat normally due to the structure of its mouth. Their bills are made to filter food from the mud and water. They feed by coming through the mud with their feet and catching their prey in their beaks.
The Chinese invented paper currency. During the Tang Dynasty which ruled between 618 and 907, China invented paper money. There used to be a warning written right on the bills that all counterfeiters would be decapitated.
90% of U.S. money has cocaine on it. Either from exposure or drug use, a study revealed that 90% of the dollars circulating in the economy have cocaine on it. Traces of cocaine were found to reach 0.006 micrograms (several thousand times smaller than salt). The green dye on dollars causes cocaine residue to stick to the bills.
During World War II, Germany planned to collapse the British economy by dropping millions of counterfeit bills over London.
The U.S. Treasury printed $100,000 bills between 1934 and 1935. They never were released to the public.
Each Dollar Amount Has Its Lifespan: Money doesn’t last forever, but some dollar bills have a longer life cycle than others. According to the U.S. Currency Education Program, a $10 bill has the shortest lifespan while a $100 bill has the longest. Here’s the estimated lifespan of the different denominations: $1: 5.8 years, $5: 5.5 years, $10: 4.5 years, $20: 7.9 years, $50: 8.5 years, $100: 15 years.
There’s a Reason US Dollars Are Green: Dollar bills weren’t always green. Colonial money, for example, was tan with black or red ink. It wasn’t until the Civil War the government started using green ink to print paper money that it got the name greenbacks. The colour was selected because the ink didn’t fade or easily decompose, which protected against counterfeiting.
Money Is Dirtier Than You Think: Both paper currency and coins can carry viruses and bacteria that can live on surfaces and easily transfer to your skin or onto other objects after touching them. Research has found physical currency changes hands at least 55 times a year or almost once a week. One recent study found banknotes made with cotton or linen fibres, such as U.S. dollar bills, present increased areas for germs and the capacity to retain moisture, which can make it an easier place for bacteria to thrive.
There Are 1.4 Billion $2 Bills Still in Circulation: The first $2 bills were printed in 1862. Although they originally featured Alexander Hamilton, they were later redesigned to feature Thomas Jefferson. The bills are still in circulation – 1.4 billion of them in fact – and are considered to be the rarest currency denomination in the U.S. Some people believed $2 bills were bad luck and would rip off the corners of the bill to “reverse the curse,” making them unusable.
Before money was made of bills and coins, these items were used as currency: conch shells, ivory, clay, live animals and grain. As long as it was divisible and scarce, it could be deemed “money”.
In 1932, wooden bills were temporarily made and used in Tenino, Washington because there was a major cash shortage at the time and wood was readily available.
Paper Bills Are Made of 25% Linen & 75% Cotton
All dollar bills feature former presidents, except for the most popular, the $100. Benjamin Franklin has never been President of America.