You may have a lot of general knowledge, but we are sure even you will be caught off guard with these facts, so, read on!
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when we say the word money? Probably notes and coins and different currencies, right? We get it, currency and all its denominations have been money’s primary identity since its conception. But there was a lot of thought that went behind money and its creation and today we’re going to bring that forth for you. Now, even we know that the only money facts most are aware of is that we want it and we definitely need it! but, take a small pause and know that there are actually a lot of mind-boggling facts about money that you probably don’t know. If you don’t think twice before spending your money, we are here to tell you that you should! Did you know the material your dollar bills are made of? Or how long a single note stays in circulation? Or just how much a collector is willing to pay for rare coins?
For those unaware, we have collated 5 interesting facts about money that will make you go, “Oh! We never even knew that!”
1. The first fact might just shock you, but did you know that the $2 bill was printed in 1862 for the first time. And the interesting part here, is that throughout most of history, $2 notes were considered to be unlucky and were pretty unpopular.
2. The life expectancy of a currency note is 15 years. That is because after they’re used on a regular basis, bills wear out and so, they’re taken out from circulation. And since the $1 bill gets used the most, it typically just lasts about 5.8 years. But, if we’re to talk about the shortest life expectancy for a bill, then the $10 bill takes the crown with a life expectancy of about 5.8 years.
3. In today’s world where people sue each other for just about anything and everything, we have yet another weird reason to sue as an addition to the list. The motto “In God We Trust” that appears on the U.S. currency as a staple has been the subject of quite a few court cases as some Satanists and fanatics consider that the implicit religious message behind it violates their rights
4. Another fact you probably did not know, is that it is pretty easy to spot counterfeit money. Your dollar bills come embedded with security threads that protect against counterfeiting: just hold them up against UV lights and you’ll see the thread glow. The thread glows differently on different notes: on the 5$ bill the colour is blue, and on the $10 bill, it is orange. The $20 bill glows green and the $50 bill glows yellow. For the $100 bill, the colour is pink.
5. Here’s what might shock you the most: the paper money is not actually made out of paper! The currency bills people usually refer to as “paper” money are actually made out of other materials. Each bill is a combination of 75% cotton and 25% linen; and not a single bit of paper in sight!
