The United States one dollar bill (US$1) is the lowest value paper currency denomination currently in circulation.

It has been issued in its current small size format since 1929, when all U.S. bills were standardized to their modern dimensions.

The current front and back designs date back decades, with the back from 1935 and the front from 1963.

George Washington, the first U.S. president, appears on the front. His image is based on the famous Athenaeum Portrait by Gilbert Stuart.

The one dollar bill has the oldest continuous design of all U.S. currency still in use.

Before Washington appeared on the one dollar bill, the original 1862 issue featured Salmon P. Chase, the U.S. Treasury Secretary.

The first one dollar bill was issued during the Civil War in 1862.

In 1957, the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” was added to the reverse, partly as a response to atheistic communism during the Cold War and the influence of the Soviet Union.

Since 1963, other denominations have been redesigned multiple times, but the one dollar bill has remained largely unchanged.

One reason it has not been redesigned is that counterfeiting of one dollar bills is rare, so updating security features is not seen as necessary.

U.S. bills are not made of traditional paper. They are composed of 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen, which gives them durability.

The bill uses security fibers and raised printing but lacks many advanced anti counterfeiting features found on higher denominations.

Every one dollar bill has two serial numbers that match the Federal Reserve district seal’s letter to help verify authenticity.

The series year on the bill, such as 2009, indicates the year the current design was adopted, not when that individual bill was printed.

About 42 percent of all U.S. currency printed in a given year can be one dollar bills, representing a huge share of cash in circulation.

As of recent estimates, more than 12 billion one dollar bills are in circulation worldwide.

A one dollar bill weighs about one gram.

The average lifespan of a one dollar bill in circulation is around 5.8 to 6.6 years before it becomes worn out and is replaced.

The back of the one dollar bill features the Great Seal of the United States, showing both the pyramid and the eagle.

The left side of the reverse shows an unfinished pyramid topped by the Eye of Providence, a symbol representing divine guidance.

The pyramid has 13 levels, representing the original 13 American states.

The Roman numerals MDCCLXXVI, meaning 1776, appear at the base of the pyramid, marking the year of American independence.

The Latin motto “Annuit Coeptis” above the pyramid means “He has favored our undertakings.”

“Novus Ordo Seclorum” below means “A new order of the ages.”

On the eagle side, the bird holds an olive branch symbolizing peace and 13 arrows symbolizing war, representing a balance between peace and defense.

Above the eagle are 13 stars arranged in a pattern, another reference to the original states.

The phrase “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “Out of many, one,” appears on a ribbon in the eagle’s beak.

During World War II, special Hawaii overprint one dollar bills were printed so they could be easily devalued if the islands were invaded.

Rare old one dollar bills, such as silver certificates or special series, can be worth more than their face value to collectors.

Certain serial numbers can make bills rare. For example, patterns like 00000001 or repeating digits are highly sought after by collectors.

In the 1990s and 2000s, there were legislative discussions about permanently replacing the one dollar bill with a coin to reduce costs.