United States one-dollar bill

The United States one-dollar bill has been the lowest value denomination of United States paper currency since the discontinuation of U . fractional currency notes in 1876. The obverse shows the first U . president (1789–1797), George Washington, based on the 1796 Athenaeum Portrait by Gilbert Stuart, and the reverse shows the Great Seal of the United States. The one-dollar bill has the oldest overall design of all U . currency currently in use. The reverse design of the present dollar debuted in 1935, and the obverse in 1963 when it was first issued as a Federal Reserve Note (previously, one-dollar bills were Silver Certificates). A dollar bill is composed of 25% linen and 75% cotton. That blend makes the notes more difficult to counterfeit compared to paper (as well as increasing its durability). As of December 31, 2018, the average life of a dollar bill in circulation is 6 years before it is replaced due to wear. Approximately 42% of all U . currency produced in 2009 were one-dollar bills. As of December 31, 2019, there were 12 billion one-dollar bills in circulation worldwide.