The dollar: what's it to you?

The love of Mom and home may be your first priorities in life, but the love of money may run a close third. Most people know where, how and why they spend their money, but what do you actually know about the legal tender?

It's a fact, for example, that not only can you use a dollar bill for its buying power, but as an American history lesson as well.

Take the front of a dollar bill. The serial numbers there describe where and when the bill was printed. These numbers are used for national security and identification purposes.

But this is only the beginning. If you turn your bill over, you get a visual presentation of Yankee patriotism in a 6-by-3-inch frame.

What you see first are the two sides of the Great Seal of the United States, which was created in 1782. The recurring theme of the seal is the number 13. On the front of the seal, there is a picture of an American bald eagle holding 13 arrows (symbolizing war), 13 olive leaves (symbolizing peace), 13 stripes on its shield (which stand for unity), and 13 stars above its head (the number of the original colonies).

The back of the seal shows a pyramid with a triangular eye at the top. This image symbolizes mateial strength, endurance and the belief that the eternal eye of God is ever watchful over America and its interests.

You could teach a whole history class on the dollar bill and the quizzes are just as much fun: What's the difference between the Treasurer of the United States and the Secretary of the Treasury? Why are both their signatures printed on the bill? How many holders of which office have been women? For trivia buffs: How many times does the number "1" appear on the bill? How many times does the word "one" appear? How can you tell which Federal Reserve Bank branch your bill was issued from? For the answers to these and other questions, call the Federal Reserve at 404-521-8020 and request a copy of Fundamental Facts About U.S. Money.

There are a lot more of these fun facts, so the next time you find yourself with a dollar bill and some spare time, look over the curious thing that's been blamed for everything from being the root of all evil to making the entire world go 'round. What you learn may be worth more than just 100 pennies.