Even in the age of credit cards and online payments, most of us still handle legal tender every single day without ever stopping to look more closely at how money is designed. You probably hadn’t noticed, for example, that most notes boast tiny words scattered about the larger images. Here are 15 of those hidden microprints. A word of warning if you’re a hands-on type who’s pulling out his or her wallet right about now: you’re going to need a microscope.
THE $5 BILL
1. Along the left and right borders are the words “FIVE DOLLARS“.
Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
2. There’s an “E PLURIBUS UNUM” at the top of the shield within the Great Seal and “USA” repeated in between the columns of the shield.
Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
3. On the back, “USA FIVE” appears along one edge of the purple number five.
Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
4. The actual Lincoln Memorial has state names engraved on it, which also appear on the back of the bill.
THE $10 BILL
5. “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “TEN DOLLARS” reside below the portrait…
6. … as well as inside the borders of the note.
Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
7. “USA 10” is repeated beneath the torch.
Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
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