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The average dollar bill doesn’t last forever: Some wear down from repeated use, while others meet their untimely demise after being ruined by water or pets. In fact, the average $1 bill has an estimated lifespan of 7.2 years, according to the Federal Reserve. This number drops even lower for $5 and $10 bills, which tend to last just 5.8 and 5.7 years, respectively.
In the United States, paper currency is made using a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen, creating a material that’s more durable than paper produced using wood pulp. But bills still degrade over time; it’s estimated that U.S. banknotes can withstand only 4,000 double folds (forward and backward) before they tear and need to be replaced.
Oops, incorrect!
It's a fibThat was actually America’s neighbor to the north, which put the first glow-in-the-dark coin into circulation. Canada unveiled the luminescent $2 coin in 2017 to celebrate the nation’s 150th birthday. It depicts two boaters rowing a canoe beneath the aurora borealis, which glows in the dark.
It’s worth noting significantly larger denominations that pass between hands less frequently, such as $50 and $100 bills, have longer lifespans. Those bigger bills are more commonly tucked away as savings and therefore suffer less wear and tear. The Federal Reserve estimates the average lifespan of a $20 bill at 11.1 years, a $50 bill at 14.9 years, and a $100 bill at 24 years.
Numbers Don't Lie
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The $100,000 U.S. bill featured the likeness of ______.
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The $100,000 U.S. bill featured the likeness of Woodrow Wilson.
Martha Washington is the only woman to appear solo on a U.S. banknote.
To date, Martha Washington remains the only real-life woman to appear by herself on U.S. paper currency, though there have been several instances of mythological women depicted on U.S. banknotes, as well as women in scenes alongside others. For example, the 1865 $20 bill features Lady Columbia —an early personification of the United States — on its obverse and the baptism of Pocahontas on its reverse.
The inaugural first lady’s portrait is seen on the obverse of the 1886 $1 silver certificate as well as a redesigned version issued in 1891. In 1896, Martha and George Washington appeared together on the reserve of a $1 silver certificate, denoting the only example of a married couple appearing jointly on U.S. currency.
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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