Most people handle a $20 bill without ever really seeing it. Beyond Andrew Jackson’s portrait and the familiar green-and-black design, the imagery feels purely decorative at first glance. But tucked into those fine lines and symbols is a detail that has sparked curiosity for decades: the bow-and-arrow–like imagery associated with the eagle and its weapons. This symbol isn’t random, and it isn’t just artistic flair. It traces back to early American ideas about power, defense, and the uneasy balance between peace and force that helped shape the nation itself.
The imagery originates from the Great Seal of the United States, which strongly influences modern U.S. currency produced under the authority of the United States Department of the Treasury. On the reverse symbolism echoed across American money, the eagle traditionally clutches arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. While not literally a bow-and-arrow weapon, the arrows represent military readiness and collective defense. In early American iconography, arrows were commonly bundled together to symbolize unity—one arrow can break, but many together are strong. The concept quietly reinforces the idea that the nation survives through cooperation and shared strength, not individual force alone.
The placement of these symbols is just as important as their meaning. The eagle faces the olive branch rather than the arrows, signaling a national preference for peace over conflict. This design choice was intentional and deeply political when first adopted. Early leaders wanted a visual message that the United States was prepared to defend itself, but not eager to wage war. Even today, that silent message travels from hand to hand every time a $20 bill changes owners, unnoticed by most but still doing its symbolic work.
