Modern Money
The first U.S. government-backed paper bills
were introduced during the Civil War. The
term “greenback” comes from the intricate
designs on these bills, meant to prevent
counterfeiting. The largest bill in history was
the 1946 Hungarian 100 million Pengo; the
name was spelled out since so many zeroes
couldn’t fit on the bill, but it was only worth
$0.25! The $100,000 1934 Gold Certificate was
the largest bill ever made in the U.S. It was
used for Federal Reserve transactions and not
released to the public. The largest coin ever
minted (by Australia in 2011) weighs 2,231 lbs.
A U.S. nickel weighs just 5 grams—roughly as
much as a hummingbird. As of 2012, there
are 167 different currencies used around the
world.