You’ve probably held one today. Maybe it’s crumpled in the bottom of your pocket or sitting in a tip jar at the coffee shop. It’s the most common piece of paper in the world, yet we barely look at it. If you ask anyone who is on a 1 dollar bill, they’ll give you the quick answer: George Washington.
That's right. Mostly.
But there is so much more to the story than just a stoic guy in a powdered wig. Most people don’t realize that the face we see today wasn't always there, and the version of Washington we carry around is actually a snippet of an unfinished painting. It’s kind of wild when you think about it. Our entire global economy is anchored by a guy who didn't even have his own teeth and a portrait that the artist never bothered to finish.
Honestly, the "onesie" is a masterpiece of engraving and historical oddities. It’s survived longer than almost any other design in American currency. While the $20, $50, and $100 bills get flashy color shifts and 3D ribbons to stop counterfeiters, the $1 bill stays exactly the same. Why? Because nobody bothers to counterfeit a single dollar. It’s too much work for too little payoff. This lack of change has turned the $1 bill into a literal time capsule.
The Man Behind the Bill: George Washington’s Perpetual Gaze
George Washington has been the face of the $1 bill since 1869. Before that, the world was a bit messier. During the Civil War, the first $1 "greenback" actually featured Salmon P. Chase. He was the Secretary of the Treasury at the time, and let’s be real, he probably just wanted his face on the money. It wasn't until a few years later that the government decided the first President of the United States was a better fit for the nation’s most used currency.
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The image we see today is based on the "Athenaeum Portrait." It was painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796. Here’s the kicker: Stuart never finished it. If you look at the original painting, it’s just Washington’s head and shoulders floating in a sea of blank canvas. Stuart realized that as long as the painting was unfinished, he could keep it and use it to make copies. He called these copies his "hundred-dollar bills" because he could sell them for a handsome profit. Little did he know, that same face would literally become the $1 bill for billions of people centuries later.
Why does he look so grumpy?
If you look closely at Washington’s mouth on the bill, he looks... tense. There’s a reason for that. By the time Stuart painted him, Washington was in a lot of physical pain. He famously struggled with dental issues his entire life. Contrary to the urban legend, his teeth weren't made of wood. They were a nightmare combination of ivory, lead, and—honestly, this is pretty grim—human teeth purchased from enslaved people.
The dentures were bulky. They changed the shape of his face. They were held together by metal springs that Washington had to actively clench his jaw to keep in place. So, that stern, stoic look on the $1 bill? That’s the face of a man trying to make sure his teeth don't spring out of his mouth while he's posing for a portrait.
Beyond the Face: The Symbols You’ve Ignored
Flip the bill over. This is where things get weird. Most people asking who is on a 1 dollar bill focus on the front, but the back is where the conspiracy theorists live. You’ve got the Great Seal of the United States. It was designed by a committee—including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson—and it took them years to get it right.
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On the left, you have the pyramid. It’s unfinished. That’s intentional. It represents the idea that the United States is a work in progress, constantly growing and building. Above it is the "Eye of Providence." A lot of people see this and immediately think "Illuminati." In reality, in the 18th century, that eye was a common symbol for God watching over the new nation.
Then there’s the eagle on the right. It’s holding 13 arrows and an olive branch with 13 leaves. Everything comes in 13s on this bill. 13 stars. 13 stripes. 13 steps on the pyramid. It represents the original 13 colonies, but it also creates a visual rhythm that makes the bill incredibly hard to replicate perfectly by hand.
The Mystery of the "Owl" or "Spider"
If you have a magnifying glass, look at the top right corner of the front of the bill. Right in the "1" frame, tucked into the leafy design. There is a tiny, tiny shape. Some people swear it’s an owl. Others say it’s a spider.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) says it’s just a random flourish of the engraving tool. But it’s these little details that make people obsessed with the dollar. It’s the only bill that hasn't been redesigned to look like "Monopoly money" with big purple numbers and watermarks. It remains a classic piece of 1963 design (which was the last time the major layout was tweaked).
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The Practical Side of the $1 Bill
We use about 12 billion of these things every year. They have a lifespan of about 6.6 years. That’s actually quite a long time considering how much abuse they take. They get washed in jeans. They get folded into origami. They get shoved into vending machines.
The "paper" isn't actually paper. It’s a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. That’s why it feels different than a page in a book. If you look really closely, you can see tiny red and blue silk fibers embedded in the fabric. This is a security feature. It’s not printed on; it’s part of the "paper" itself.
Why don't we use coins?
The government has tried to replace the $1 bill with coins multiple times. Remember the Susan B. Anthony? The Sacagawea? The Presidential Dollar coins? They all flopped. Americans love the paper dollar. It’s light. It fits in a wallet without clinking. Even though a coin lasts 30 years and would save the government billions in printing costs, we refuse to let go of George’s paper face.
Fun Facts to Drop at Dinner
- The Letter in the Circle: On the left side of the bill, there’s a circular seal with a letter in it (A through L). This tells you which Federal Reserve Bank printed the money. "L" is San Francisco. "B" is New York.
- The "Ghost" Image: If you hold a $5, $10, or $20 up to the light, you see a watermark. The $1 bill? Nothing. It’s the "thinnest" security-wise.
- Martha Washington: Believe it or not, George’s wife, Martha, was actually on a $1 Silver Certificate back in the late 1800s. She’s the only woman whose portrait has appeared on a primary U.S. paper currency note to date (though that's supposed to change eventually).
Actionable Insights for the Curious
Now that you know who is on a 1 dollar bill and why he looks so uncomfortable, here is what you can actually do with that information:
- Check Your Serial Numbers: Collectors look for "fancy" serial numbers. If you have a bill where the numbers are all the same (like 77777777) or a "ladder" (12345678), that $1 bill could be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
- Look for Star Notes: If there is a little star (*) at the end of the serial number, it means the bill was a replacement for a sheet that was damaged during printing. These are rarer and often worth more than face value to collectors.
- Inspect the "Web" Bills: In the early 90s, the BEP experimented with a different printing press called a "Web" press. These bills look slightly different (the plate numbers are in different spots). They are highly sought after by numismatists.
- Preserve the History: If you find a bill from 1963 or earlier (like a Silver Certificate with a blue seal), don't spend it at the vending machine. Take it to a local coin shop. It might not make you a millionaire, but it’s a piece of history worth more than its face value.
The next time you pull out a dollar, take a second. Look at the unfinished pyramid. Look at the guy with the ivory teeth. It’s a weird, beautiful piece of American history that we carry around every single day without a second thought.