An Overview of US Currency

  

The United States currency is known as the U.S. dollar. It is divided into 100 cents, and is denoted by the symbol "$". The U.S. dollar is the most widely used currency in international trade, and is also widely accepted as a form of payment in other countries. U.S. currency comes in several different denominations, including $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills. The design of U.S. currency has changed over time, with new versions being introduced to stay ahead of counterfeiting efforts. One of the most recent updates to U.S. currency was the introduction of a new series of $100 bills in 2013, which included a number of new security features to make them more difficult to counterfeit. These features include a blue 3-D security ribbon, a color-shifting bell in the inkwell, and a portrait watermark of Benjamin Franklin. In addition to these security features, the U.S. government has also taken steps to make U.S. currency more accessible to people with visual impairments. For example, the new $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills have raised tactile features, such as Braille dots, that allow people who are blind or visually impaired to identify the denomination of a bill by touch. The Federal Reserve System is responsible for issuing and circulating U.S. currency. Banks and other financial institutions can order currency from the Federal Reserve, which is then shipped to them for distribution to the public. Overall, U.S. currency is a widely recognized and accepted form of payment both domestically and internationally. With its recent security upgrades and accessibility features, the U.S. dollar is also becoming a more secure and accessible form of currency.