I happened to have a bill out as a tip for a server at South Point hotel over the weekend. I casually glanced at the back side of it and took note.
But it made me wonder. What’s on the backside of other bills currently in circulation?
So I conducted a little research. The results were like a long excursion into American history.
While you may already know this, the backside of currency and coins is often called the reverse. The front side? Well, that’s the opposite of the reverse and is often referred to as the obverse.
Go ahead, hazard your best guess what is on the reverse of these commonly circulated U.S. bills. Not to worry —we’re here to help with the answers.
$1 — When was the last time you even looked at the reverse?
$2 — Not commonly seen but available at banks everywhere. The reverse is a major event in U.S. history.
$5 — Knowning what is on the obverse, this is an easy one. Right?
$10 — I made a good guess on this, but was slightly wrong.
$20 — Not sure why this is on the reverse for the seventh president, but it is.
$50 — I had no clue on this one. Do you?
$100 — The reverse of this one also make perfect sense considering the portrait on the obverse.
Got your best guesses? Answers follow.
$1 — Great seal and the spooky pyramid.
$2 — Signing of the Declaraton of Independence.
$5 — Lincoln Memorial. Duh.
$10 — The U.S. Treasury — appropriate for the first Secretary of the Treasury.
$20 — The White House. Plans call for abolitionist Harriet Tubman to be on the obverse and Jackson on the reverse, perhaps by 2030.
$50 — The U.S. Capitol building.
$100 — Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
And a bonus illustration. The illustration above is from the reverse of one series of the $500 blll no longer in circulation. It depicts explorer Hernando de Soto’s discovery of the Mississippi River.
On this series, jurist John Marshall is on the observe. On most of the $500 bills, it was President McKinley.
Of course, the $1,000 bill (President Cleveland), the $5,000 blll (President Madison) and the $10,000 (Salmon P. Chase) are also no longer ciculated. If you are a movie buff, you may recall the $5,000 bill made an appearance in Robert Altman’s movie “The Long Goodbye.”
Also, 100 of the $10,000 bills made up a famous collection of currency that was on display in Las Vegas for many years. It is now displayed at Binion’s in downtown Las Vegas in denominations of $1s, $20s and $100s.
Now you know. You say you don’t care? Annuit coeptis.
