Some say it makes the word go round – but no matter how important it is to you, U.S. currency has a colorful history full stories and facts:

• During 2006, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing produced 33 million notes a day with a face value of approximately $529 million.
• 95 percent of the notes printed each year are used to replace notes already in, or taken out of circulation. During FY 2006, 54.80 percent of the notes printed were $1 notes.
• The first paper currency issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury were Demand Notes Series 1861.
• During the Civil War period, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was called upon to print paper notes in denominations of 3 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, and 50 cents. The reason for this is that people hoarded coins because of their intrinsic value which created a drastic shortage of circulating coins.
• In 1929, the size of currency was reduced to about two-thirds of its former size when production was converted to 12-subject plates. The familiar portraits and back designs of our currency were also established at that time.
• A stack of currency one mile high would contain more than 14 million notes.
• The approximate weight of a currency note, regardless of denomination is one gram.
• There are 454 grams in one U.S. pound, therefore, there should be 454 notes in one pound.
• If you had 10 billion $1 notes and spent one every second of every day, it would require 317 years for you to go broke.

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