Large Size Notes

The U.S. one dollar bill ($1) is a denomination of U.S. currency. The first U.S. President George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart, is currently featured on the obverse, while the Great Seal of the United States is featured on the reverse. more...

The one dollar bill has the oldest design of all U.S. currency currently being produced. The obverse debuted in 1963 when the $1 bill first became a Federal Reserve Note and the reverse debuted in 1935.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing says the "average life" of a $1 bill in circulation is 22 months before it is replaced due to wear. Approximately 45% of all U.S. currency produced today is one dollar bills.

All $1 bills produced today are Federal Reserve Notes. One dollar bills are delivered by Federal Reserve Banks in blue straps.

History

Large size notes

(7.375 inches x 3.125 inches)

• 1862: The first $1 bill was issued as a Legal Tender Note (United States Note) with a portrait of Salmon P. Chase, the Treasury Secretary under President Lincoln.
• 1869: The $1 United States Note was redesigned with a portrait of George Washington in the center and a vignette of Christopher Columbus sighting land to the left. The obverse of the note also featured green and blue tinting. Although this note is technically a United States Note, TREASURY NOTE appeared on it instead of UNITED STATES NOTE.
• 1874: The Series of 1869 United States Note was revised. Changes on the obverse included removing the green and blue tinting, adding a red floral design around the word WASHINGTON D.C., and changing the term TREASURY NOTE to UNITED STATES NOTE. The reverse was completely redesigned. This note was also issued as Series of 1875 and 1878.
• 1880: The red floral design around the words ONE DOLLAR and WASHINGTON D.C. on the United States Note was removed.
• 1886: The first woman to appear on U.S. currency, Martha Washington, was featured on the $1 Silver Certificate. The reverse of the note featured an ornate design that occupied the entire note, excluding the borders.

• 1890: One dollar Treasury or "Coin Notes" were issued for government purchases of silver bullion from the silver mining industry. The reverse featured the large word ONE in the center surrounded by an ornate design that occupied almost the entire note.
• 1891: The reverse of the Series of 1890 Treasury Note was redesigned because the treasury felt that it was too "busy" which would make it too easy to counterfeit. More open space was incorporated into the new design.
• 1891: The reverse of the $1 Silver Certificate was redesigned. More open space was incorporated into the new design.
• 1896: The famous "Educational Series" Silver Certificate was issued. The entire obverse was covered with artwork of allegorical figures representing "history instructing youth" in front of Washington D.C. The reverse featured portraits of George and Martha Washington surrounded by an ornate design that occupied almost the entire note.

• 1899: The $1 Silver Certificate was again redesigned. The obverse featured a vignette of the U.S. Capitol building behind a Bald Eagle perched on an American Flag. Below that were small portraits of Abraham Lincoln to the left and Ulysses S. Grant to the right.
• 1917: The obverse of the $1 United States Note was changed slightly with the removal of ornamental frames that surrounded the serial numbers.
• 1918: The only large-sized, Federal Reserve Note-like $1 bill was issued as a Federal Reserve Bank Note(not to be confused with Federal Reserve Notes). Each note was an obligation of the issuing Federal Reserve Bank and could only be redeemed at that corresponding bank. The obverse of the note featured a borderless portrait of George Washington to left and wording in the entire center. The reverse featured a Bald Eagle in flight clutching an American Flag.
• 1923: Both the one dollar United States Note and Silver Certificate were redesigned. Both notes featured the same reverse and an almost identical obverse with the same border design and portrait of George Washington. The only difference between the two notes was the color of ink used for the numeral 1 crossed by the word DOLLAR, treasury seal, and serial numbers along with the wording of the obligations. These dollar bills were the first and only large size notes with a standardized design for different types of notes of the same denomination; this same concept would later be used on small size notes.

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