Cashiers have to check “big bills” (typically $50s and $100s) with special ink, and they may have to pause if they don’t have enough change when someone uses one. The U.S. government once printed a bill that could have brought the entire checkout line, perhaps even the entire shopping mall, to a screeching halt. Fortunately, it wasn’t meant for use in the average store setting…not even the big box stores.
Today’s Trivia Question
What’s the face value of the largest-denomination bill ever printed by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
Bonus if you know which president’s portrait appeared on it.
| A Few More for Fun… |
The enormous sum printed on the notes is only one of the strange stories in the history of U.S. money printing.
What two fibers combine to make the paper used in U.S. Federal Reserve notes?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
| A Few More Trivia Questions Before You Go… |
Banknotes can carry history, conceal security features, and even lead to trouble in a movie. So, let’s “follow the money” a bit more…
Science
We’ve already mentioned the use of special ink on bigger bills. What kind of light is it that makes security threads in banknotes light up?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
History
What war prompted the federal government to issue the early notes nicknamed “greenbacks”?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
Movies
Who stars as the American given an enormous banknote in 1954’s The Million Pound Note, released in the U.S. as Man with a Million?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
Answers
| TODAY’S QUESTIONAnswer: C. $100,000. The Series 1934 gold certificate had a face value of $100,000. Used for official transactions between Federal Reserve Banks, it was never in public circulation. It was currency with a very specific job and no place in the cash register. Bonus points if you knew Woodrow Wilson appears on the bills. | |
| 01 | Answer: A. Linen and cotton. The percentages used are 75% cotton and 25% linen, even though we say “paper money,” and paper is usually made of wood pulp. |
| 02 | Answer: B. 1969. The July 14, 1969 announcement indicated that those denominations had little use. Even though they were real currency notes, they were not the amount of money regularly spent on an errand or in everyday life, so they were discontinued. If you have one, it remains legal tender, but you may get a funny look when you ask if someone can “break a $5k.” |
| 03 | Answer: C. Ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light causes different colored glows from the thread embedded in the paper. Most big bills have a lot more going on than just their face values and extra zeroes. |
| 04 | Answer: A. The Civil War. Wars cost money, and the U.S. government needed funds to wage the Civil War. The nickname came from green ink appearing on the backs of notes printed to finance the war. |
| 05 | Answer: C. Gregory Peck. As Henry Adams, Peck’s character is lent a million-pound note, and it changes how people treat him in the film. It makes a comedy of the difference between looking wealthy and actually having money you can easily spend. That hundred-thousand-dollar note was impressive, but if a cashier could actually make change for it…that would be impressive, especially if they didn’t use a calculator. |
How did you do? Score 1 point for each correct answer and 1 point for the bonus if you knew it. Perfect score: 7.
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