What are some weird things on a US 1 dollar bill?

Answer 1

There's really nothing "weird" about US $1 bills, despite many internet rumors to the contrary, but there are many interesting facts about the design:

• The portrait of Washington on the front is copied from the famous painting by Gilbert Stuart.
• The back design has been essentially unchanged since 1935 except for the addition of the motto "In God We Trust". Congress has blocked any and all efforts to update the design, even modestly.
• The images in circles on either side of the word ONE are the front and back of the Great Seal of the United States.
• The pyramid has 13 steps representing the foundation of the country on the 13 original colonies. It's unfinished, indicating that the US is and always will be a work in progress. The date 1776 appears in Roman numerals at the pyramid's base, representing the country's start that year. The Latin phrase ANNUIT COEPTIS means "He (i.e. God) favours our undertaking", and NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM means "A New Order for the Ages".
• The eagle appears below 13 stars, again representing the 13 colonies. It holds an olive branch in one claw representing the country's desire for peace, while the other holds a set of arrows representing our willingness to defend the nation if necessary.

Many people claim to see other hidden symbols and images in the designs, but all of these have been repeatedly examined and debunked. The (in)famous owl and spider that supposedly lurk in the scrollwork have been checked under a microscope and found to be nothing more than places where the lines come together in a way that confuses our eyes. The human brain is "wired" to see patterns even when none exist, a function called pareidolia by scientists. It's the same ability that leads us to see a man's face or a rabbit in the craters of the moon, or a cloud that looks like a map of Massachusetts.