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There’s a Reason US Dollars Are Green
Dollar bills weren’t always green. Colonial money, for example, was tan with black or red ink. It wasn’t until the Civil War that the government started using green ink to print paper money, which is how it got the name “greenbacks”. This color was selected because the ink didn’t fade or easily decompose, protecting against counterfeiting.
There Are 1.2 Billion $2 Bills Still in Circulation
The first $2 bills were printed in 1862. Although they originally featured Alexander Hamilton, they were later redesigned to feature Thomas Jefferson. These bills are still in circulation (1.2 billion of them, in fact) and considered to be the rarest currency denomination in the U.S. Some people believed that $2 bills were bad luck, so they would rip off the corners of the bills to undo the curse, making them unusable.
America Isn’t the Only Country That Uses the US Dollar
Besides the United States and its five inhabited territories, 11 countries in the world also use the U.S. dollar, the world’s reserve currency, as their official currency. These are the British Virgin Islands, Timor-Leste (or East Timor), Bonaire, Ecuador, El Salvador, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, Sint Eustatius, Saba, and Turks and Caicos.
A Penny Costs More to Make Than It’s Worth
The most recent report from the U.S. Department of the Treasury said it costs 3.69 cents to make a penny, up from 1.3 cents 10 years prior. Why the increase? Part of it could be the higher prices of copper and zinc, both of which were used to make pennies. Higher labor and overhead costs may also have been contributing factors. The Treasury stopped producing new pennies in late 2025 due to the costs involved. However, pennies are still in circulation and recognized as legal tender.
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