Here are some facts about paper money from the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing Web site:
The first $1 bill was issued by the government in 1862 with a picture of Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase. George Washington’s portrait first appeared on the $1 note in 1869.
Dollar bills account for approximately 45 percent of all U.S. currency production.
The lifespan of a $1 Reserve note is about 21 months. Other bills have different life expectancies.
The first $2 bill was issued in 1862 and featured a picture of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury.
Thomas Jefferson’s portrait was placed on the $2 bill for the 1869 Federal Reserve note, with a drawing of Jefferson’s Monticello home on the flip side. For the U.S. bicentennial, Jefferson’s face remained, but Monticello was replaced with a depiction of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The first $100 bills were issued in 1862, with a picture of the American bald eagle. Benjamin Franklin’s portrait first appeared on the Series 1914 Federal Reserve Note.
The lifespan of the average $100 note is 89 months.
It would be interesting to know just what percentage of the money circulating is actually printed, and what is just in digital form?