One Dollar Bill
From About Freemasons
Freemasons and the One Dollar Bill
The United States one dollar bill is the second-oldest design for a bill in the United States, and it is also the most used denomination of American currency. The one dollar bill, even though it is so common, has also sparked some controversy. Specifically, some conspiracy theorists have suggested that the imagery and symbolism on the bill points to a conspiracy and an undue influence by the Masons on American finances and America’s life. Most serious scholars and historians do not support these views.
Conspiracy theorists point to the Eye of Providence on the one dollar bill both as a suggestion that the Freemasons have some extensive and perhaps subversive influence over the founding of the United States and/or American finances and that the dollar bill is linked in some way to the occult. In fact, Freemasons did not begin to use the Eye of Providence as a symbol until over a decade after the Great Seal of the United States was created. As well, historical documents prove that the design of the American dollar bill was created by a committee of men who were not Masons.
Some conspiracy theorists suggest that the dollar bill design makes use of the Eye of Providence as an occult symbol, since a design very similar to the Eye of Providence was used in the worship of the sun god Horus in Ancient Egypt. However, designs similar to the Eye of Providence were also used by Christians to represent the Holy Trinity (God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). Since many early Americans were Christian (including the founding fathers), it is likely that the Great Seal of the United States was designed with this symbolism for this purpose.
Some conspiracy theorists suggest that the dollar bill has many references to the number thirteen. For example, the pyramid on the dollar bill has thirteen steps, and other instances of the number appear in the Great Seal of the United States and on the dollar bill. In fact, there is a good reason for this: there were originally thirteen colonies in America at the time the Great Seal was designed, and the number thirteen in this context is meant to represent these colonies. Scholars and historians agree that there is no deeper or ominous meaning to the thirteen.
The Great Seal contains an arms which depicts an eagle holding an olive branch. In the image are thirteen arrows and the eagle carries a scroll with the words "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (Of Many, One). Above the eagle’s head is light pouring through a cloud to reveal thirteen stars. In the image there is also an unfinished pyramid and an eye in a triangle, above which appear the words "ANNUIT COEPTIS." The base of the pyramid is inscribed with the date MDCCLXXVI and the words "NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM."
Some have pointed out that one of the eagle’s wings contains 32 feathers, corresponding to the number of degrees in Scottish Rite Freemasonry. The stars in the image are five pointed, and five pointed stars are sometimes known as Masonic Blazing Stars, which are meant to correspond to the five points of fellowship. Some people have even suggested that the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM references the unity and brotherhood of Freemasonry. However, experts have suggested that the symbolism of the dollar bill may not be that complex or may have been chosen on designers for other purposes than the purposes assigned by conspiracy theorists.
