Infographic: How Money is Made

Money doesn't grow on trees. This graphic shows you how money is made. Read on to learn what goes into creating the dollar bill in your wallet.

Infographic: How Money is Made © CreditDonkey

Did you know in 2013, the US government spent $798 million dollars to print and transport new currency (and destroy old bills)?

Printing all the money needed by the nation's banks, retailers and consumers involves more than "rolling the presses." Every new bill is created in a multi-step process that takes a great deal of time, as well as the work of designers, engravers, printers and state-of-the-art computers. Simply drying a newly-printed greenback (front and back) takes 144 hours (or 6 full days).

The cost of a one-dollar bill is 5.4 cents, a five-dollar bill 9.8 cents and a hundred-dollar bill 12.7 cents.

To foil counterfeiters, U.S. currency is protected by enhanced security features and inspection measures. For the $100 bill, some of the security features include: a watermark that's visible only when the bill is held up to a light source; inks that change color when the note is tilted; a security thread that glows under ultraviolet light; a 3D security ribbon; and raised printing.

Learning about the production process can make money seem more precious - and more real. When we pay with a credit card, we often lose sight of the actual cost.

What do you think?

(Research by Kelly; Design by Santosh; Editing by Sarah and Dana)