National Dollar Day is a holiday that commemorates the day the U.S. Congress established the monetary system for the entire United States. This happened on August 8, 1786. They established the metal content of all the coins and established the dollar as the monetary system for the country. However, it would not be until 1792 that the first U.S. Mint was established, and it would not be until 1794 that the first U.S. dollar—the Flowing Hair Dollar—was minted.

The History Of National Dollar Day

The history of this holiday is unknown. What we do know, however, is that it is not an official holiday, so schools, banks, and government buildings remain open on this day. People are also unlikely to get the day off, but they can take the time they have to celebrate this holiday any way they see fit.

Facts About The U.S Dollar

Now that all of us know about National Dollar Day, it’s time for us to learn a little bit more about the star of this holiday—the U.S. dollar. Toward that goal, we’ve listed some of the most interesting facts about the U.S. dollar that everyone is probably going to want to know.

• The average dollar bill remains in circulation for almost 6 years.
• In 1886, Martha Washington graced the dollar bill.
• The $1 bill is one of the cheapest U.S. notes to produce, costing just under a nickel per note.
• The dollar is 2.61 inches wide and 6.14 inches long.
• The dollar weighs approximately 1 gram and is .0043 inch thick.
• The dollar is made from paper that has a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen.
• The same company—Crane & Company—has supplied the paper for U.S. currency for hundreds of years.
• Over 1.5 trillion U.S. currency is currently in circulation. 97% of these are Federal Reserve Notes.
• The U.S. dollar can be folded over 5,000 times before it breaks. Copy paper can only be folded about 100 times.
• Salmon P. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury, was the first person featured on the dollar in 1863.
• 38 million notes are issued every day by the United States Bureau of Engraving & Printing.
• These 38 million notes made every day have a worth of over $540 million.
• The Fort Worth, Texas, and Washington, D.C., mints use almost 10 million tons of ink per day.

How To Celebrate National Dollar Day

Although National Dollar Day is not specifically a day in which people are going to want to go out and celebrate, people can observe this day in several different ways. The first way is by spending some of your dollars for a good time out or using the hashtag #NationalDollarDay on social media. It’s also a good day for people to start their own currency collection.