In an economic crunch when acquiring and saving money can be a challenge, knowing the value of the dollar can make you very appreciative. Whether a person acquires any extra cash by working a part-time job or by securing emergency loans, the power of the almighty dollar does a whole lot more than make the world go around and make things happen. Money is very intriguing and has the capacity to impress even those who are not easily amused.

There are little known facts about the origin of some types of money and how they came into circulation in the economic system. For instance:

The Funky $2

Do you remember the cool and weird, but awkward $2 bill? It was weird because although it displayed $2 on the note, it would very often get confused with a $20 bill or sometimes a $1 bill. Oh, the cash registers around America that have come up short while dealing with the $2 bill!

Although the bill was around for a short period, it was discontinued in 1966, only to be reintroduced 10 years later as a United States Bicentennial celebration item. Even with this special occasion, it only lasted for a brief period. Today however, the bill is rarely seen, rarely circulated and in some places, not even accepted.

The New Dollar….Or is it a Quarter?

It probably happened at many stores across the nation where the customer paid for their merchandise with paper money and received their change back in quarters. No, make that a dollar!

The Susan B. Anthony dollar suffered the same fate as the $2 bill in terms of popularity and convenience. The dollar was only minted from 1979 to 1981 and then again in 1999. But because the Susan B. Anthony dollar was constantly being confused with the quarter, people felt uncomfortable using it, therefore circulation ceased. The only dollars that are around today are generally collector’s items, and are not even accepted in most places, even though they are a legitimate form of tender.

Big Money Equals More Money

The term “big money” can usually mean more than just lots of bills. It can also mean a high bill denomination…as in $100,000! While there is a bill in existence such as the $100,000, it is not available for the public’s use. It is certainly legal to use for anyone who can get a hold of one. The highest denomination bill that is available today for general use is the $100 bill which has been in circulation for over 45 years.

There are still large circulations of big bills like the $500 bill, the $1,000 bill, the $5,000 bill and even the $10,000 bill. These currencies are certainly attention-getters, although they were discontinued in 1969 because of their declining use. Once they’ve gone through circulation and then reach the Federal Reserve, they are discontinued, whether that’s through destroying them or using them to trade within certain governmental agencies.

Annie is a frugal blogger and a tech-savvy mom who writes for Home Loan Finder, a great free Australia-based tool to compare homa loans online. You can follow Jessy on twitter as @JessyTroy