The Real Meaning Of The Pyramid On A Dollar Bill

The pyramid on the one dollar bill is one half of what's called the "Great Seal of the United States," a piece of iconography that you're probably at least 50% familiar with. The other half of the seal, the shielded eagle carrying thirteen arrows and an olive branch, is seen on the other side of the dollar, as well as in the Oval Office and on official presidential gift shop merch. 

According to an essay published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the seal was designed in the late 18th century by secretary to the Continental Congress Charles Thomson. The unfinished pyramid was meant to represent the strength and longevity of the new nation, with the Eye of Providence, a popular symbol at the time, showing that good fortune was watching over this fledgling republic. The eagle eyed will have noticed that there are thirteen rows of blocks leading to the top, representing the thirteen original colonies. The image is topped with the words "Annuit Coeptis," roughly meaning "Providence has favored our undertakings," and "Novus Ordo Seclorum," or "a new order of the ages," signifying the dawning of a new form of government. And of course, at the base of the pyramid is engraving "MDCCLXXVI," which reads "1776" in roman numerals.

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