But when have you actually stopped to consider what money is – what it
means, what it stands for?
Here is a snippet from Judy Shelton's
A Guide To Sound Money (available as a free pdf)
Open your wallet and take out a dollar.
What you will notice first about this green-tinged piece of paper – all U.S.
banknotes measure 2.61 inches wide by 6.14 inches long – is the imagery.
If you are holding a one-dollar bill, you no doubt recognize the portrait of
our nation’s first president, George Washington, encased in an oval frame.
He seems to gaze back at you.
Turn it over now and you will see the powerful symbol of a pyramid with
an “all-seeing eye” at its apex. The pyramid is meant to denote strength
and duration, while the floating eye signifies divine guidance in the
American cause. An inscription in Latin in printed above,
Annuit Coeptis,
which translates as “
He Favors Our Undertakings.” There’s a banner below
imprinted with another Latin phrase,
Novus Ordo Seclorum, meaning “
A New Order of the Ages.”
It refers to the new era launched in 1776 by the Declaration of
Independence – The American Era.
The Founders were keenly aware that America’s bold approach to
organizing civil society under the overarching
principle of personal freedom could potentially change the destiny of mankind. It was based
on a radical concept:
self-government. And it relied on the essential
notion of
natural rights granted by our Creator – a remarkable theory that
meant citizens were deserving of equal rights and equal protection under
the law.
The Latin words,
E Pluribus Unum, proclaiming “
Out of Many, One.”
And indeed, it is faith in the American idea that unites us,
the shared belief that individual liberty can be wholly consistent with a profoundly moral nation. The daring commitment to
self-rule invoked by our Founders would prove justified by the ability of
Americans to thrive and prosper when entrusted with
economic freedom and personal responsibility. The images printed on our currency are meant to underscore our belief in
the great American experiment. They are aimed at providing assurances
that our nation’s confidence in self-government is merited.
And on all U.S. forms of money – every banknote, every coin – you will see
the declaration: “In God We Trust.”
It’s a sobering thought that should serve to remind us that we must never
take our money, or our unique form of self-rule through accountable
government, for granted.
Alas, the integrity of U.S. currency cannot be guaranteed by appealing
to an authority beyond human control. When it comes to government-
supplied money, you cannot outsource trust by invoking the Creator.
Instead, it’s important to realize that money is a man-made invention of
sorts – a useful innovation arising from the marketplace.
It is our responsibility, as self-governing citizens of the United States, to demand sound money that will remain useful for future generations and ensure that the sanctity of the American idea prevails.
