The American $1 bill has been an enormous source of mystery for many years.
While it is something that nearly every American has come into contact with over and over again, there still remains an enormous shroud of mystery around many of the bill's markings.
Just like the mysterious disappearance of the lost colony of Roanoke, the hidden meanings behind the symbols on the $1 bill remain some of America's greatest puzzles.
What do these symbols actually mean? Why does the pyramid have a glowing eye at the top of it? And what is the creature that seems to be hidden next to the number "1" on the front of the bill?
To find out, pull out a dollar bill — then scroll through this incredible list to see just what has been hiding right in your wallet all of these years. And for an even closer look at these mysteries, watch the video below!
Have you spotted other hidden meanings in the American $1 bill? Let us know in the comments!
The Creature
This hidden creature might just be too small for you to spot without taking out a magnifying glass. In the upper-right corner of the bill, just to the upper-left of the number "1", there appears to be a teeny-tiny creature peeking out.
There are several guesses as to what this is. Some say that this is the shape of an owl. Many believe it was put there as an anti-counterfeit measure.
Others, however, don't see an owl at all; they see a spider. Some argue a hidden spider would make much more sense, given the "web" pattern behind the number "1."
There is a third theory that the creature becomes the skull portion of a skull and crossbones when you turn it sideways.
If you examine your bill closely, do you see the tiny face?
The Letter
Luckily, in order to spot this item, you won't have to break out your magnifying glass. In fact, while most people don't know what this letter to the left of Washington's face represents, it does actually have a logical explanation.
The big letter "G" is one of many letters that represent exactly which Federal Reserve bank was responsible for printing. In this case, the "G" stands for Chicago.
The other letters you might spot are: "A" for Boston, "B" for New York, "C" for Philadelphia, "D" for Cleveland, "E" for Richmond, "F" for Atlanta, "H" for St. Louis, "I" for Minneapolis, "J" for Kansas City, "K" for Dallas, and "L" for San Francisco.
At least this mystery of the dollar bill remains solvable.
The Eagle
On the back of the bill, the eagle appears to be clutching 13 arrows, as well as an olive branch with 13 berries. The eagle wears a shield with 13 horizontal stripes and 13 vertical stripes. Above the eagle, there are 13 stars.
So what is the meaning behind the number 13 exactly? Some believe that the image holds some type of evil or satanic meaning, perhaps hinting at a goal of world domination.
However, scholars believe that the obvious answer is the correct one: that the number 13 is representative of the 13 original colonies.
The number 13 certainly is strongly represented on the bill. What do you think it means?
The Eye
And then, of course, we come to "the eye." The eye at the top of the pyramid is hidden right in plain sight, but its meaning has been shrouded in mystery since it first appeared on the dollar bill.
The eye appears to be floating and emitting large rays of light. So what could this symbolize?
Some argue that the eye represents the presence of God watching over America.
Others believe that the symbol is much more conspiratorial in nature and that it is the "all-seeing eye" often utilized by the Freemasons. These theorists believe that our founding fathers were actual members of the Freemasons.
While no one can know for sure, what do you think this floating eye represents? Is it the eye of God, or a Freemason symbol hidden in plain sight?
The Roman Numeral
If you look closely at the base of the pyramid, you'll spot a very long series of letters: MDCCLXXVI. This "code" is actually not a secret at all, but has a logical explanation.
MDCCLXXVI is actually a Roman numeral that stands for the number 1776. It would be quite difficult to read too much into that number, considering that 1776 is the year that America finally declared its independence.
While some might wonder about its location at the base of the pyramid, the number certainly has a logical reason for appearing on the dollar bill.
MDCCLXXVI isn't quite the hidden mystery that some of these other secret gems are.
The Cross
If you look in the corners of the back side of the bill, you'll be able to spot a very distinct cross or windmill-like shape behind the number "1."
Many believe that this symbol is the shape known as the Maltese cross — which some believe to be a hidden reference to the famed Knights of Malta.
These "Knights" date all the way back to the Middle Ages and still remain active today. In 1798, an island fortress belonging to the Knights of Malta was captured by Napoleon, sending many of them fleeing to America.
Could this symbol actually be the Maltese cross hidden on the back of our $1 dollar bill?
The Hindu God
Again, you may need your magnifying glass for this one. But just to the right of the bottom left number "1," there appears to be a figure with its hair in a bun.
Many believe this to be a hidden depiction of the Hindu god known as Shiva. While it might seem hard to believe, conspiracy theorists believe that this is in fact Shiva, who is also known as "the Destroyer."
If you look closely, you can make out the figure in the webbing next to the "1." As is traditional, this Hindu god appears to have its hair in a bun.
What do you make of this hidden figure? Do you think it really is the Hindu god?
The origins of the symbols on the American $1 dollar bill still remain some of our country's greatest mysteries.
Were you able to spot any other symbols? What do you think these hidden images mean? Let us know in the comments.
Watch the video below for an even closer look at these dollar bill mysteries, and please SHARE with friends and family!
