The US dollar is the official currency of the US. It’s not only the most circulated currency in the world but also considered one of the most stable.
Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.
That year, 44 nations gathered in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to rebuild the global economy. The result? The US dollar became the world’s reserve currency, backed by gold.
The US dollar was established in 1792 and comes in the form of coins or paper money. It's considered one of (if not the most) stable currencies in the world due to America’s strong and robust economy, as well as its relatively stable government.
Durable, made of a cotton blend, and with billions in circulation, the common dollar bill is made to last. This video from 1440 goes inside the life of the country's paper currency, from printing to purchasing, in this quick 60-second overview.
You may have noticed that dimes and quarters feature small ridges on their sides that other coins like pennies and nickels don’t have. This design element helps combat counterfeit production of coins and more. You can watch a video to learn more about why the practice, called “reeding,” was first started—and why it’s still used today.
At the same time, the US also started producing the dollar, its first official currency. The US Mint issued coins throughout the country in the form of copper, silver, and gold, and still does today.
It's estimated that about half of US currency is circulated outside of the US. In 2023, there were 54.6B US notes circulated, with 18.9B of those being $100 bills. You can see how many US notes have circulated since 1997 in a visualization.
Those original paper bills were called “greenbacks” or “demand notes.” Since then, paper money has evolved with different designs, names, and values. Today it is solely issued by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
From colonial money to national banknotes, people have used all kinds of forms of currency throughout the history of the United States before settling on the dollar bills and quarters that we pay for things with today.
From the Civil War to present day, the US has gone through many, many versions of paper money (or “notes”). Some notes, like “Demand Notes,” were created to finance the Civil War. Others, like “Treasury Notes,” helped pay for silver.
Over a decade ago, a group dedicated its time to tracking $1 bills in the US. They would stamp single bills with the phrases “currency tracking project” and “Track me at WheresGeorge.com” in a practice they dubbed “Georging.”
The United States is home to more than 33 million businesses, the vast majority of which are small businesses, with millions being created (and others closing shop) every year. These businesses often rely on loans, provide the goods and services that keep the economy flowing, and sometimes even grow large enough to enter public markets or provide private investment opportunities. Explore key topics central to business and finance, from the role of the Federal Reserve to how initial public offerings work, how millions of American students finance higher education, and more.