The Secret Symbols of the Dollar Bill: A Closer Look at the Hidden Magic and Meaning of the Money You Use Every Day

Told that there is hidden magic and meaning--even numerology--at work in the one-dollar bill, many Americans would snort, replying that the only magic was in how to stretch one further. Nevertheless, Ovason's meticulous research into the history and design of the dollar bill reveals little-known aspects of the note we exchange every day. He shows, for instance, how the dollar serves as testament to the 13 original colonies. The bill's mottoes,""E Pluribus Unum"" and""Annuit Coeptis"" both have 13 characters. On the design on the reverse side, there are 13 levels to the pyramid; 13 olive leaves, olive berries and arrows clutched in the eagle's talons; 13 stars in the constellation above the eagle; and 13 vertical stripes in the eagle's shield. At times, Ovason seems to be reaching too far. He notes that the individual numbers in 1776 add up to 21--three times the magical number 7--as if the Founding Fathers chose the year of the American Revolution for its numerological significance. Still, most of Ovason's material appears to be historically grounded and much of it is fascinating. The dollar sign""$"", for example, likely originated from the symbol of a snake curving around a cross, much like the god Mercury's caduceus. Mercury was the Roman god of commerce, and therefore an apt emblem for currency. Likewise, the word""dollar"" probably derives from the German""taler,"" a silver coin minted in Bohemia in 1519. While money is seldom mined for trivia, Ovason describes a lore as compelling as that of films or baseball.