1. China was the first country to use paper money. Ancient paper money can be traced back to the Pai-Lu P'i-pi (white deer-skin money) of Han Dynasty (140 BC) and the Fei-Chien (flying money) of Tang Dynasty (618 AD). However, the Ming Dynasty notes are the earliest surviving paper money of which the 1 Kuan is the most common. Issued between 1368 and 1399, the note measures 222mm x 340mm.

2. The world's highest denomination note is the Hungarian 100 Million B-Pengo, issued in 1946. That's 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 Pengo. It was worth about U.S. $0.20 in 1946.

3. One of the smallest banknotes in the world is the Ivory Coasts 0.10 Franc note, issued in 1920. This 32mm x 46mm note is actually a postage stamp pasted on cardboard.

4. Queen Elizabeth II is the second longest reigning head of state after King Rama IX of Thailand. She has been Queen since 1952. Her pictures appear on the banknotes of 34 countries.

5. The Bank of the United States (1791-1811) was the first national bank chartered by the U. S. Congress. The bank issued the first "United States" currency.

6. The term "buck" relating to the slang for U. S. dollar originated from the Old West when buckskin was a common medium of exchange with Indians. Later as currency replaced the barter system, people still refer to a dollar as a buck.

7. The highest denomination note issued for public circulation in the United States is $10,000. The highest denomination currently in circulation is $100.

8. The highest denomination ever printed by the United States is the $100,000 Gold Certificate. They were used only for transactions between the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department.

9. To commemorate the Centennial of Independence from Spanish rule in 1998, the government of the Philippines wanted to do something special. It issued the world's largest banknote, beating the previous record (Chinas Ming Dynasty 1 Kuan). The 100,000 Piso note measures 356mm x 216mm.

10. The motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” was declared the national motto of the United States by the 84th U. S. Congress and was first used on paper money in 1957, when it appeared on the One Dollar Silver Certificates.