“The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s mission is to maintain a strong economy and create economic and job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable economic growth and stability at home and abroad, strengthen national security by combating threats and protecting the integrity of the financial system, and manage the U.S. Government’s finances and resources effectively.” ~ Role of the Treasury
As you can see by this prestigious quote direct from the official government website, the treasury plays a vital role in the prosperity of the United States. The Treasury influences every aspect of our daily lives in both major (taxes) and minor (finding a heads up penny) ways. Knowledge is power, so let’s explore a few United States Treasury facts.
5 United States Treasury Facts
-
- The U.S. Treasury was founded on September 2nd, 1789. (source) The institution’s origins can be traced back to 1775 when America’s founding leaders were seeking ways to fund the Revolutionary War.
-
- As of January 10th, 2022, the United States has over $29 trillion dollars of debt. (source) That number is $29,721,316,241,512.87, to be exact.
-
- The United States has spent $4.6 trillion on the federal COVID-19 response so far. (source) United Healthcare Services received the most at $140,829,131,982.
-
- The United States Mint (a U.S. Treasury bureau) produced 816.138 billion coins in the past 100 years. (source) That is a colossal $169.451 billion dollars worth of coins. Another fascinating coin fact – a penny actually costs two cents to manufacture, which costed the U.S. Mint $76 million in 2020 alone.
-
- The Treasury has an impressive collection of fine art, sculpture, furniture, and architectural artifacts. (source) Of course, it protects several original portraits of presidents such as Abraham Lincoln.
Featured image photo credit: Sealy j, 2017. Originally found on Wikimedia.org. Image was resized and cropped. Creative Commons 4.0.
