The Great Seal of the United States appears on the backside of the United States $1 bill. The reverse of the seal appears on the left, and the obverse side of the seal appears on the right.
The Continental Congress decided to create a national seal or emblem on July 4, 1776, the same day that the congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The congress appointed Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams to a committee to come up a national seal. It took six years, three committees, several artistic contributions and many revisions before the final seal was adopted on June 20, 1782.
Since that time, the Great Seal has undergone changes in design, reflecting the tastes and ideas of later generations, but the features of the original design were kept intact. These features are meant to graphically represent the tenets of the new nation.
The unfinished pyramid and the eye in a triangle on the reverse side are classic symbols. The Egyptian pyramid is a symbol of strength and duration; the 13 steps indicate the original number of U.S. states; and the 13 steps leading to an unfinished summit indicates future growth of the nation. The eye is known as the "Eye of Providence" and is surrounded by rays of light. According to Webster's New World College Dictionary, "providence" can mean:
-looking to, or preparation for, the future; provision.
-skill or wisdom in management; prudence.
-the care or benevolent guidance of God or nature, b) an instance of this.
-God, as the guiding power of the universe.
When folded many disturbing images appear on US Currency