3 of 4

Write now Article Tools

The imagery on the back of the United State One Dollar Bill is intriguing to say the least. When a person takes the time to really analyze the symbolism in the Great Seal found thereon he is often filled with curiosity. Unfortunately this curiosity often leads to much uninformed or misinformed speculation. One of those foolish speculations is the idea that the Great Seal contains a lot of Masonic symbolism. This belief is held by a minority of people who have been influenced by Hollywood's inaccurate but entertaining fantasies like "National Treasure" and the fabrications of overzealous students of occult subjects. While it is true that several of the United States founding fathers were in fact Freemasons, it is not true that the United States One Dollar Bill contains any symbolism adopted from or inspired by Freemasonry.

The Great Seal of the United States consists of a bald eagle spread with 13 arrows held tightly in his left talon. His right talon clutches a 13 leaved olive branch. Supported on the eagle's breast is an escutcheon or shield containing a representation of the United States Flag-a blue field and 13 alternating red and white stripes. In his mouth he carries a banner which contains the Latin Phrase "E pluribus Unum." Above his head is a radiant six-pointed star composed of 13 five-pointed stars.

On the reverse side of the Great Seal is a representation of an Egyptian styled pyramid with a 13 layers and a flat top. Just above this sits an eye inside a triangle. At its base are inscribed the Latin numerals indicating the year 1776, the year of American independence from Britain. Circumscribing the image are more Latin phrases "Annuit Coeptus" above and "Novus Ordo Seclorum" below.

The repetition of the number 13 on the Great Seal and the United States Flag is a subject of great interest to conspiracy enthusiasts and occultist speculators who parrot poor resources that claim the number 13 has special meaning to Freemasons. The fact is that the number 13 has no special significance to Freemasonry and never has. Freemasonry does place special emphasis of certain numbers such as 3, 5, 7 and 15, but 13 is not on the list.

The number 13 does have a special significance in American history. The number 13 happens to be precisely the number of the original American colonies who rebelled against Britain and became the United States. This is the why the designers of the Great Seal emphasized the number time over again. The Latin motto "E pluribus Unum" translates

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about The meanings behind the symbols on a dollar bill?
We want to hear your view. Write now!