The choice of this type of ink was, in principle, a coincidence and was reaffirmed over the years.
One of the most frequently asked questions people ask about the design of dollar bills is why green ink was chosen to print them. From the official authorities, both the Federal Reserve (FED) like the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) have reported the different reasons why it was decided that this type of pigment was appropriate for engraving on their national currency.
First of all, it was because it was the ink color that they could more easily access in large quantities. And with the aim of standardizing the production of the banknotes, in addition to reducing the size, they used the most economical and available products that were available to them. This happened in 1929, but the history of the first issue of copies of this color dates back to before.
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What are the reasons why the dollar is green?
In 1861, With the aim of financing the civil war, the United States Congress authorized the Treasury Department to issue interest-free demand notes, with values 5, 10 and 20. They were the first copies that earned the nickname “greenbacks.”
First green dollar
On the other hand, over time, they discovered that this color was strongly resistant to physical and chemical changes, which made it more durable and reliable. As the years passed, this color became psychologically related to strength and stability, what institutions want to transmit with their paper money.
Source: Ambito
