Look at the two circles on the back of the bill. An uncapped pyramid in the left circle, signifying that we were not even close to being finished, has a lighted face and the western side is dark. Our new country had not begun to explore the West and decided what we could do for Western Civilization.

Inside the capstone is the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. “In God We Trust” is inscribed on the currency. At the base of the pyramid is the Roman numeral for 1776 (MDCCLXXVI). The Latin above the pyramid, “Annuit Coeptus,” means, “God Has favored our undertaking” and the Latin below, “Novus Odo Seclorum,” means “A new order has begun.”

The seal in the right-hand circle, designed by Benjamin Franklin and others, is the seal of the President of the United States which is visible wherever he speaks. The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol of victory because the bird is not afraid of a storm and is smart enough to soar above it. The shield is unsupported: the United States can stand on its own. A white bar at the top of the shield signifies Congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as one nation. The eagle’s beak reads, “E Pluribus Unum” meaning, “From many – one.”

The 13 stars above the eagle represents the 13 original colonies with the clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. The eagle holds in his talons an olive branch, representing peace, and arrows, representing war when necessary.

The number 13 is considered unlucky, but there are 13 original colonies, 13 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 13 stripes on our flag, 13 steps on the Pyramid, 13 letters in “Annuit Coeptis,” 13 letters in “E Pluribus Unum,” 13 stars above the Eagle, 13 bars on the shield, 13 leaves on the olive branch, 13 fruits, and 13 arrows.

Finally, the arrangement of 13 stars in the right-hand circle are arranged as a Star of David. This was ordered by George Washington who asked Haym Solomon, a wealthy Philadelphia Jew, what he would like as a personal reward for his services to the Continental Army. Solomon said he wanted nothing for himself but that he would like something for his people. The Star of David in the dollar bill was the result.

Few people know that it was Solomon who saved the Army by giving $25 million that was extremely important to our independence from England.