One Pound Of $1 Bills Has An Unexpected Value

If you pinch a one-dollar bill between your index finger and thumb, you'll quickly realize that U.S. paper currency is quite light. According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), bills consist of lightweight materials across denominations – 75% cotton and 25% linen — and weigh about 1 gram apiece. Because there are 453.592 grams per pound, this means that 1 pound of one-dollar bills would be worth around $454. 1 pound of $5 bills would be worth $2,265; $10 bills would be $4,530; $20 bills would be $9,060; $50 bills at $22,650; and $100 bills at $45,300. 

Despite being lightweight, U.S. currency is quite durable, requiring approximately 4,000 double folds — forward and then backwards in the same spot — before a tear typically occurs. When touched, the surface feels a bit rough because of the paper's composition and the printing process used. Plenty of other fascinating facts about U.S. paper money exist, including why we use the symbol of "$" when referring to currency. Nobody knows for certain, but the BEP provides the most likely explanation: In Spanish and Mexican currency, the letters "Ps" can stand for pesos, piastres, or even pieces of eight (in reference to a historic Spanish coin made of a significant amount of silver). As an examination of old documents demonstrates, over time, that letter "P" was overwritten by the "S," eventually coming to resemble the "$" symbol used today.

The one-dollar bill is full of hidden symbols, with the Great Seal of the United States containing a significant number of them. In fact, it took a committee of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson six years to agree on these symbols. 

The Great Seal actually consists of two seals. One is an eagle with a shield and stars — it holds an olive branch, representing peace, along with a bundle of 13 arrows, which signifies war; each of these arrows represents an original colony. The other seal contains the strong and durable pyramid, inspired by those found in Egypt. Hovering over the pyramid is the Latin phrase "Annuit Cœptis," which translates into "He Has Favored Our Undertaking." At the pyramid's base, the Roman numerals "MDCCLXXVI" stand for "1776," the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed. Below that is more Latin: "Novus Ordo Seclorum," celebrating "A New Order of the Ages."

Then, there's the bill series, which might not mean what you think it does. To locate it, look for a set of numbers between the one-dollar bill's picture of George Washington and the secretary of the treasury's signature. The bill series identifies the year in which that particular bill's design was implemented. If there's a letter at the end of it, that represents minor design changes — ones not significant enough to require a new year listed in the bill series. A starred serial number on a dollar bill indicates that it's a replacement note after a bill got damaged.