Have you ever needed to measure something on the go, but your ruler is in your toolbox back home? Maybe you’re at the thrift store trying to determine how tall a bookshelf is, or at the local deli wondering if their foot-long sandwiches are truly as long as advertised. Whatever the case may be, here’s…
Got a Dollar?
According to the U.S. Currency Education Program, the standard length of a paper U.S. bill is 6.14 inches, whether it’s a dollar bill, a fiver, or even a cool hundo. So if you need to roughly estimate the length of something to the nearest half-foot, you’re in luck. Grab a dollar — or several — and lay it (or them) along the item you need to measure. If all you need is a rough number, round down to 6 inches. For a more accurate reading, use 6.14 inches per dollar and multiply accordingly.
It’s also worth noting that U.S. dollars measure 2.61 inches from top to bottom. This may be helpful knowledge when trying to measure something smaller. Keep in mind, though, that this is only the case for modern currency introduced after 1929. Older U.S. banknotes measured 7.375 by 3.125 inches, though it’s highly unlikely you’d have any of those in your wallet. (They are, however, valuable collectibles.)
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Word to the Wise
While U.S. dollars measure 6.14 inches by 2.61 inches when freshly minted, those exact dimensions may slightly decrease over time. The edges of the bill will likely wear away with repeated use, as the money gets repeatedly folded into wallets and stuffed into tills. This erosion won’t change the numbers much, but it may knock off a few decimal points.
The Dimensions of Foreign Currency
Foreign currency doesn’t adhere to the same dimensions as U.S. currency, and may be slightly longer or shorter than 6.14 inches. The Canadian dollar, for example, measures 6 inches on the nose — a perfectly round number that provides a nice template to measure off of. British pounds, however, vary in length from 4.92 inches to 5.75 inches, depending on the denomination, so using them for measurement can be confusing. At the end of the day, it’s best to stick to currencies you know the dimensions of.
