# US currency **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439 "2003-12-06T21:58:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekow2kn3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@ekow2kn3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekow2kn3)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/1 "2003-12-06T21:58:04Z")
what are all the bill denominations available in the us? with their symbol as well ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/2 "2003-12-06T22:03:37Z")
I’m not sure what you mean by “symbol.” Are you talking about the faces on the front and picture on the back? Or what? $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 are the only bills in circulation. There are higher denomination notes, but they aren’t seen in circulation. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/3 "2003-12-06T22:03:39Z")
Google is your friend. The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing has lots of good info, including [[http://www.moneyfactory.com/section.cfm/4](http://www.moneyfactory.com/section.cfm/4)](_this page_ [url)]this page with all the bank notes currently produced. Older notes no longer in production, such as the $500 and $1,000 bills are still legal tender, but one could probably get more than face value for them from a collector. What do you mean by symbol? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/4 "2003-12-06T22:41:57Z")
commasense’s link is goofed up. Try this: [http://www.moneyfactory.com/section.cfm/4](http://www.moneyfactory.com/section.cfm/4) As shown there, the first answer forgot to mention the $2 bill, which is understandable since you seldom see one. Come to that, you don’t see $50’s very often either. At any rate, whatever a “symbol” is, you can find it on the pictures on that page. ---
**Author:** ![ekow2kn3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@ekow2kn3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekow2kn3)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/5 "2003-12-06T22:45:47Z")
i meant dead guy on the front ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/6 "2003-12-06T23:34:23Z")
The face value, portrait, and reverse for circulating U.S. bills: $1 – George Washington, Great Seal of the U.S. $2 – Thomas Jefferson, Signing of the Declaration of Independence $5 – Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Memorial $10 – Alexander Hamilton, U.S. Treasury building $20 – Andrew Jackson, White House $50 – Ulysses S. Grant, U.S. Capitol $100 – Benjamin Franklin, Independence Hall ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/7 "2003-12-07T00:25:42Z")
The $500 & $1000 are easily available for about double the face value in the collector market. The $5000 w/ Madison is probably available for $50k or so. No idea about what the $10, 000(Chase) & $100,000(Wilson) cost- could be 10 times the face value. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/8 "2003-12-07T02:31:59Z")
a $10,000. note is probably about $30K today. Since the general public could NOT possess the $100, 000 note, I doubt that one is available. The gov could confiscate it. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/9 "2003-12-07T03:11:49Z")
samclem- good point, but there are quite a few things available at a price that the public is not permitted to possess. ---
**Author:** ![DLandWRRfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@DLandWRRfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DLandWRRfan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/10 "2003-12-07T03:56:59Z")
I think only 1 example of the $100,000 note exists anyway, and it’s on display at the Smithsonian Institute. (I think) Hale ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/11 "2003-12-07T07:55:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DLandWRRfan \* > **I think only 1 example of the $100,000 note exists anyway, and it’s on display at the Smithsonian Institute. (I think)** Certainly more than one such note was printed: > [@](#): > > The largest note ever printed by the [Bureau of Engraving and Printing](http://www.moneyfactory.com/document.cfm/18/106) was the $100,000 Gold Certificate, Series 1934. These notes were printed from December 18, 1934 through January 9, 1935 and were issued by the Treasurer of the United States to Federal Reserve Banks **only** against an equal amount of gold bullion held by the Treasury. These notes were used for transactions between FRBs and were not circulated among the general public. The Smithsonian does have one on display: > [@](#): > > **Finance Museum Showcases $100,000 Bill in “High Notes” Exhibit** > _Former U.S. Treasurer curates exhibition of high denomination currency from around the world_ > > **New York, Oct. 1, 2002** - The Museum of American Financial History unveiled today the first public exhibition to showcase rare high denomination bills from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection, including the 1934 U.S. $100,000 gold certificate issued at the height of the Depression to transfer funds between the Federal Reserve Banks. But so does at least one Las Vegas casino: > [@](#): > > **Treasures of [Mandalay Bay Museum](http://www.maintour.com/nevada/lvghtlmb.htm)** - > Expensive collection of rare gold and silver coins and currency including a $100,000 bill. Perhaps you’re thinking of the $1 trillion bill, only one of which was made, and which fell into the hands of the unscrupulous Montgomery Burns. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/12 "2003-12-07T15:27:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brianmelendez \* > \*\*Perhaps you’re thinking of the $1 trillion bill, only one of which was made, and which fell into the hands of the unscrupulous Montgomery Burns. \*\* We may need to start printing some of those again real soon. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-currency/217439/13 "2003-12-07T19:00:53Z")
On the other hand, ignoring the _Simpsons_ references, in addition to legal tender currency, the U.S. Treasury also issues Savings Bonds, in denominations from $50 to $10,000). Prior to 1986 they also issued Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, and Treasury Notes. The largest Treasury Bill was for $1,000,000, with a portrait of Oliver Wolcott; the largest Treasury Bond was also $1,000,000, with a portrait of Theodore Roosevlet. Treasury notes begin at $1,000, include a $1,000,000 TR note, and have two higher denominations, the $100,000,000 James Madison note, and the $500,000,000 William McKinley note. These are marketable treasury securities, some of which do remain in circulation.