While reflecting on the object that best represents my college 
experience, I came up with many ideas.  A pencil, a computer, a bookbag, 
and a parking ticket were some of the thoughts I had.  However, I was 
able to narrow the choice down to the most obvious in my mind -- money!  
While the by product of the money will  be, hopefully, a diploma, Mark 
Boyd felt the diploma would best represent his college experience.  
While I do believe he has a valid point, I feel that without the money, 
obtaining the diploma would be impossible.  So, reaching into my nearly 
empty wallet, I pulled out a five dollar bill, and there I had my artifact.  
Pictured below is that exact item.






	The five dollar bill above is a standard one.  It measures two 
and three quarters of an inch by six and one quarter.  It is printed on 
very durable paper, in shades of green, grey, and black. Focusing in on 
the front of the bill, a picture of Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president 
of the United States, is displayed.  In each corner is the numeral five, 
and it is spelled out in four other places.  Across the top is written, 

 FEDERAL RESERVE
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

	In the bottom left and the top right is the serial number of the 
bill, with each bill having its own serial number.  Located on either side 
of Lincoln are the signatures of the Treasurer of the United States and  
the Secretary of the Treasury.  Finally, in the top left is the phrase 
"This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private". 
	If I flip the bill over, once again I see very distinct 
characteristics.  The numeral five is displayed in two places, and spelled 
out in seven other areas.  Directly in the center is a facsimile of the 
Lincoln Memorial, with the words "IN GOD WE TRUST" above it.  
Finally, across the top in bold letters are the words,

"THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"



	Particular to this five dollar bill, it was made by the Federal 
Reserve in Atlanta, Georgia, as evidenced by the stamp on the front of 
the note.  The date of manufacture is 1988, once again as evidenced by a 
stamp on the front of the bill.
  
	It's rather obvious that it was made by an elaborate press, with 
precautions taken to prevent counterfeits.  Currency is printed by the 
Government to facilitate the transfer of assets between parties for 
services rendered, merchandise, debts owed, etc.  Looking again at this 
particular bill, it is rather clear that it is somewhat beaten up.  
Because a specific bill may transfer between owners hundreds of times, 
this is not an unusual thing to see.  Fortunately, the Government has 
taken this into account by printing the money on a combination 
paper/fabric material that resists tears.
	The five dollar bill first appeared in Colonial America around 
1775, and it became an official U.S. note in 1792.  Though it was once 
backed in gold, equivalent to the face value, all bills in the U.S. are 
now called credit money -- money that is not backed by a commodity (ie, 
gold or silver).
	Throughout history, money has served primarily three functions: 
as an exchange medium for goods and services, as a standard of value, and 
as a store of wealth.  Though the latter two are rather abstract, they 
both serve important functions in America's economy.  The unintended 
functions of money are numerous.  Status and respect, or the lack thereof,
are probably the most apparent.
	Five dollars means many things to many different people.  To a 
large group of Americans, five dollars is approximately what they earn 
for one hour of work.  To a homeless person, five dollars would give them 
a decent meal.  To Bill Gates, a five dollar bill may serve as toilet 
paper.  And, to my three year old son, a five dollar bill means we are 
millionaires.  Clearly, the significance of a five dollar bill is vastly 
different among society. 
	Similarly, the number of five dollar bills one has also commands 
various responses.  It is not uncommon to find people in the U.S. who get 
a lot of attention simply by being rich.  The Rockefeller family, the 
Kennedy clan, and Ross Perot are all examples of people who are respected 
and admired by a vast majority of society, even though in some cases they 
didn't even earn the money themselves; they simply inherited their fortune.
In contrast, a homeless person standing on a street corner is often 
ignored because of the shamelessness that is attached to being poor.  To 
the average person in America, a five dollar bill simply means survival.
It is used to provide the basic necessities in life: food, clothing, and 
shelter.  
	To me, a five dollar bill has many meanings as well.  Though it 
has no sentimental value, like Emma Capello's sorority pin, it 
is enough money to provide me with lunch during work.  It allows me to 
purchase almost a half of a tank of gas for my car. And, if I can collect 
four of them, it can provide me with a round of golf.  Though these are 
but a few examples of the importance of five dollars to me, there are 
many more.  I simply cannot list everything that five dollars signifies 
to me.  
	However, at this stage in my life, the most important thing that 
five dollars represents is the ability for it, and thousands more, to 
allow me to attend college.  I realize now, even though I couldn't when I 
was younger, that obtaining an education is the single most important 
factor in my ability to provide a good life for my family and myself.  
Unfortunately, I do believe it requires too many five dollar bills to 
realize this goal.  In a period when America is loosing its grasp of the 
world economy, and our own economy, I believe we should be making it 
easier for our citizens to attend higher education; not raising tuition 
eight percent yearly.  Thousands of people are losing their jobs, or 
they will in the near future.  Education departments should recognize this 
and understand that these people won't have the thousands of five dollar 
bills that are required to attend college.  Thankfully, I was able to 
cash in my pension plan from ten years of working, and here I am.  When I 
finally get my degree, I will have used three thousand five dollar 
bills...all to fill my head with information and skills.  Hopefully, 
though, that will translate in many more five dollar bills for years to 
come.

Bibliography: 
Thomas Mayer, "Money". The Academic American Encyclopedia 
(1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia version), copyright (c) 1995 
Grolier, Inc. Danbury, CT.

"Dollar".  The Academic American Encyclopedia (1995 Grolier Multimedia 
Encyclopedia version), copyright (c) 1995 Grolier, Inc. Danbury, CT.