I’ve been writing about the financial world for a long time and have always found it to be an interesting topic. There are many money facts that seem too weird to be true, but they all hold some truth.
The weird things on money is a list of 35 facts that seem too weird to be true.
I initially wrote these for a quiz night with friends, but they went over so well that I decided to share them with you. Here are 35 funny facts about money that you should know. I’ll be clear: these are money facts concerning the currency of the United States of America.
Take a few moments to remember one or two of these money facts to wow your friends in the future! It may even assist you in winning a trivia night.
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1. There are many hidden meanings on the $1 note that allude to the 13 founding colonies.
There are many tiny Easter Eggs buried in the intricate design of the $1 note that you may have never seen before. They’re all based on the number “13.”
- The pyramid has a total of 13 steps.
- On the shield, there are 13 vertical bars.
- On the top of the shield, there are 13 horizontal stripes as well.
- The eagle’s symbolism continues with 13 stars.
- The olive branch on the eagle’s talons was meticulously detailed with 13 leaves and 13 berries. The opposite talon is equipped with 13 arrows.
- The Department of Treasury seal has 13 stars above the key.
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2. All 50 states are displayed at the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the $5 note.
If you want to read them, though, you’ll need a magnifying lens.
pgaborphotos / istockphoto / pgaborphotos / istockphoto / pgaborphotos / istockphoto
3. How slang words for money, such as ‘buck,’ came to be
Here’s a look into the origins of some of the terms we associate with money today. These are often based on past civilizations that have impacted our understanding of money.
- Buck – People used to exchange and barter deer skin for goods and services back in the day. A “buck” was the name given to each skin.
- Fee is derived from the German word “vieh,” which means “cattle.”
- Shell Out — Native Americans formerly used shells as money, and European colonists subsequently coined the term “Shell Out,” which means “to pay.”
- Soldiers were formerly paid with salt, a practice that was adopted from the Romans. “Salarium” is the Latin word for salt. “Salary” evolved from that term through time.
- Dollar — In 1519, the Czechoslovakian town of Jachymov began minting its own silver coins, known as “talergroschen.” These were referred to as “talers” in slang or abbreviated form. This expanded across Europe, and several countries now include the word “taler” in their currency names. For example, in the United States, our money is referred to as “Dollars.” Isn’t it amazing?
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4. People underestimate the worth of stray coins. The TSA collected $960,105 in loose change in 2018.
All of your loose change tossed in the bins as you pass through security is often forgotten and left behind. It all adds up, however, and it’s always a lot. This is one of the most stunning financial statistics.
- $866K in 2017
- $867K in 2016
- $765K in 2015
- $674K in 2014
- $638K in 2013
Farknot Architect/istockphoto/Farknot Architect/istockphoto/Farknot Architect/istockphoto/Farknot
5. One of the most revolting truths about money, similar to how germs are revolting.
This may seem simple, but “exactly how many individuals handle your money before it gets to you…” is something we don’t frequently consider. Money, in general, may contain a lot of germs. The majority of them are safe, but certain $1 notes have been found to contain traces of salmonella and E.coli, making this one of the grossest money facts. However, it seems that earlier banknotes (which are made of cotton) have more contaminants, while newer, glossier polymer-based $1 bills are cleaner.
AlexLMX / istockphoto contributed to this image.
6. In the United States, the $1 bill is the most widely circulated currency.
In reality, the $1 Bill accounts for 48 percent of the money produced by the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This is mainly due to the fact that it is the most frequent bill, but it is also due to the fact that a $1 bill has an average lifetime of just 18 months. You may often take a worn-out bill to your local bank and get it replaced.
jokerpro / istockphoto / jokerpro / istockphoto / jokerpro / istockphoto / joke
7. Every year, more Monopoly Money is produced than actual money.
The total value of all U.S. money produced each year is between $696 million and $974 million (most is just to replace old worn money). Despite this, Parker Brothers claimed that the total fictional worth of their monopoly money is $30 billion, which includes all of their orange $500 notes, yellow $100 bills, purple $50 bills, green $20 bills, blue $10 bills, pink $5 bills, and white $1 bills. That’s spelled with a “B.” Every year, almost 30 times as much Monopoly money is produced as US banknotes.
martince2 / istockphoto / martince2 / istockphoto / martince2 / istockphoto
8. In Antarctica, there is an ATM machine.
In reality, ATMs may be found on all seven continents. It may seem odd that an ATM exists in Antarctica, yet there are two of them. At McMurdo Station, the continent’s biggest scientific center, Wells Fargo operates both. As a result, this is one of the “coolest” money facts.
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9. Living presidents are prohibited by law from appearing on US banknotes.
Congress issued this in 1866, and it has remained true for the most part. Only monarchies had the faces of their live presidents in the past. The only time live presidents have appeared on coins has been for commemorative issues. Because monarchs often put their faces on coins, George Washington was renowned for refusing to have his face on U.S. money. His visage on money reminded him too much of the monarchy, he thought.
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10. It wasn’t until 1957 that the motto “In God, We Trust” was printed on US money.
President Dwight Eisenhower authorized the modification on July 30, 1956, and it went into force the following year. The word “E Pluribus Unum” replaced the previous slogan on US money, “E Pluribus Unum,” which meant “One out of many.”
AAUB / istockphoto / AAUB / istockphoto / AAUB / istockphoto / ist
The $20 bill is the most counterfeited banknote.
People are more likely to break a $20 bill than a $100 bill at a shop or bar, despite the fact that the $100 note is a close second. During rush hour, several well-known counterfeit money launderers bought drinks with phony $20s or $100s and pocketed the change. When a bartender is in a hurry, they don’t always take the time to go over the money carefully. But I wouldn’t recommend it; there are other ways to earn money. In the end, the majority of individuals are apprehended.
keeweeboy / istockphoto / keeweeboy / istockphoto / keeweeboy / istockphoto
12. There is a bill for $100,000.
It’s a gold certificate featuring Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States. It was never intended for public distribution, however. The Federal Reserve Banks used to circulate money amongst themselves using these paper notes. This is one of the most costly financial realities.
Jimi Filipovski is the photographer behind this image.
13. Goldsmiths issued paper receipts for their gold in the 1700s, which gave birth to paper money.
The majority of money at this time in history was based on coins. This established the practice of governments utilizing paper money as a representation of their precious metals holdings. Paper money served as a proxy for the gold supply at Fort Knox for the US government. This lasted until 1971, when the value of money in the world was determined by “faith” rather than gold. A $20 note has worth simply because everyone agrees it does.
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14. Economists believe that just 8% of the world’s money is in the form of actual cash.
This implies that individuals are more likely to use digital transactions such as automatic electronic transfers and credit cards to move cash back and forth than they are to use real money to pay for goods. Consider how much money you spend in a month and how little of it you really pay with cash. That’s a mind-boggling figure to consider.
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15. Currently, the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing manufactures only $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes.
A set of $100,000 notes were produced at one time, although they were exclusively for transactions between Federal Reserve banks. These were not carried in the wallets of ordinary people. The $2 note is very uncommon; it is only produced on demand, and the most recent one was printed in 2003.
agcuesta / istockphoto / agcuesta / istockphoto / agcuesta / istockphoto
16. Every year, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the United States creates 37 million notes (paper money)!
Every year, $696 million worth of currency is produced. Surprisingly, 95% of that money is produced only to replace obsolete currency.
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17. To produce money, the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing needs 9.7 tons of ink each day.
The US Bureau of Engraving and Printing uses two operational facilities (Washington, DC and Fort Worth, TX) to print money every day, and those facilities go through a lot of ink. This is high-tech ink, after all, with trackable, magnetic, and color-changing capabilities.
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18. Green ink was first employed in black-and-white cameras to avoid counterfeiting.
When individuals attempted to make photographic reproductions of US money, it was difficult to get the green ink just right. The United States retained the green ink because they had so much in stock when paper money designs became more uniform and complex to prevent counterfeiting in 1929.
Nuthawut Somsuk / istockphoto contributed to this image.
19. The paper used to create US money has always been produced by a single firm (Crane and Co.).
Since 1775, when Paul Revere used paper from Stephen Crane’s paper factory for some of the United States’ initial banknotes, it has stayed this way. Crane & Co. has traditionally been the only firm to manufacture the special paper used in US currency.
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20. The Secret Service’s initial mission was to combat money counterfeiting.
At the conclusion of the Civil War, the United States Secret Service was established in July 1865 to combat early counterfeiting.
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21. It takes 4,000 double folds to shred every US bill by folding it over and again.
That’s a lot, but these items are built to last! These things require some work to tear since they’re made of 25% linen and 75% cotton. However, few individuals will be able to achieve the 4,000 fold capability. Keep in mind that a normal sheet of paper may only be folded 400 times before it breaks.
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22. Damaged US money may only be replaced at a bank if it has a value of at least 51 percent.
If you receive a torn $1, it may be used as legal currency as long as more than 51 percent is there. You may take it to a bank and have the ripped money replaced with a new one. You’ll need more than 51% to prevent individuals from ripping money apart and turning in two distinct bills. One of the most “ripped” truths about money is this.
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23. There are now more than $1.84 trillion in federal reserve notes in circulation throughout the globe.
There are $1.84 trillion in dollars and coins in circulation as of April 8, 2020. So, if you tallied up all of the US dollars and coins in the world (banks, sofa cushions, hidden treasure, etc. ), you’d come up with $1.84 trillion dollars.
solvod / istockphoto / solvod / istockphoto / solvod / istockphoto /
24. There are two groups that make our money.
The money we use every day is produced by two separate institutions. Coins are made by the United States Mint, while paper money is made by the United States Bureau of Engraving.
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25. Every year, the United States Mint produces 30 billion coins.
The United States Mint produces one-cent, five-cent, ten-cent, and twenty-five-cent coins, as well as one-dollar coins known as Sacagawea Golden Dollar Coins. The Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin, introduced in 2003, was the previous U.S. $1 coin. This is one of the most “invented” money truths.
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26. A nickel costs the US Mint more than a dime to produce.
It all boils down to scale. The United States Mint pays $0.1118 cents for a nickel, but just $0.0565 cents for a dime.
lbsphoto-com / istockphoto / lbsphoto-com / istockphoto / lbsphoto-com / istockphoto
27. A penny costs more to produce than it is worth.
A penny costs the United States Mint $0.0241 cents to produce. That implies a penny costs twice as much to make as it is worth! This is why there are many petitions to abolish the penny, which is essentially a waste of money. One of the most well-known truths regarding money is this.
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28. Quarters and dimes have ridges on the edges because people used to shave the edges for more metal.
People used to shave the edges of coins to collect the precious metals (silver, gold, etc.) and mix the cuttings to make new coins or sell them outright back in the day. “Coin Clipping” was the name of the game. The United States Mint eventually began to add ridges to coins to make them easier to detect and prevent counterfeiting. It wasn’t worth the effort since precious metals were never used to make pennies or nickels.
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People use pennies to keep plant pests at bay.
It’s a strange phenomenon, yet some people swear by it. When you bury pennies in the garden, the copper and zinc in the coins may give garden pests electric shocks. The majority of people use them to keep snails away. In today’s pennies, zinc now outnumbers copper. This is one of the most “surprising” financial truths.
swisshippo / istockphoto / swisshippo / istockphoto / swisshippo / istock
The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, which sold for $3.7 million in 2010, is the most expensive US coin.
It was a five-cent coin made in very small numbers without the permission of the United States Mint. As a result, it’s like the coin world’s rebel. Only five are known to exist in the world, two of which are in museums and the other three in private collections.
cudger / istockphoto / cudger / istockphoto / istockphoto / istockphoto / ist
31. A coin’s average lifetime in the United States is 30 years.
That’s a lot longer than the average life of a $1 note, which is just 18 months. Simply said, coins are more durable. This is one of the most “durable” financial truths.
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32. Every coin in the United States has the stamp (Mint Mark) of the country in which it was produced.
Each coin has a single letter that denotes the country of origin. If a coin lacks a mark, it was most likely produced in Philadelphia, which was the first and is still the biggest U.S. Mint. Except for Philadelphia coins, most modern coins feature mint markings on the reverse.
- P stands for Philadelphia.
- D stands for Denver.
- San Francisco is represented by the letter S.
- The letter W stands for West Point.
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33. The Lincoln Penny is the only currency in which the figure is oriented correctly.
The faces on every other coin are turned to the left. It’s not the most important discovery, but it’s fascinating for trivia!
pamela d mcadams / istockphoto / pamela d mcadams / istockphoto / pamela d mcadams
34. The United States Mint produces more coins than any other country’s mint.
In fact, in addition to all of the United States Mint’s coins. They have also manufactured coins for other nations, making them the world’s biggest coin manufacturer.
Davidevison / istockphoto / davidevison / istockphoto / davidevison / istockphoto /
35. The United States Mint makes a profit on every coin it creates.
There’s a distinction to be made between what it takes to “produce” a coin and how much it’s “worth.” This profit is used to finance the United States Mint and generate extra money for the government to spend on education, healthcare, and other government programs.
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This story was syndicated by MediaFeed.org and first appeared on WalletSquirrel.com.
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3 things about money is a list of 35 facts that seem too weird to be true. The list will include things like how the average person spends $1,000 in a year and how much money you can make by selling your organs.
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