The United States $50 Bill is currently the second largest denomination of United States Paper Currency. The eighteenth president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant is shown on the front of the bill and the U.S. Capitol is pictured on the back of it. All $50 bills printed today are Federal Reserve Notes. About 5% of all U.S. paper currency printed today are $50 bills, and According to Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the life span of a $50 bill being circulated is 55 months before it has gotten too worn out and is replaced.

The first $50 bill was placed into circulation in 1862 and it was a large-sized bill. In 1869, a new $50 United States Note featuring Henry Clay and a mythical figure grasping a laurel branch on the face. This was replaced in 1874 with another $50 United States Note with Benjamin Franklin and Lady Liberty on the front of it. In 1878, Edward Everett starred on obverse of the first $50 Silver Certificate while the reverse of the bill was in black ink. This bill was revised and redesigned in both 1880 and 1891. Containing a portrait of American democratic politician, Silas Wright, on the face and a Bald Eagle sitting on top of an American flag, the first $50 Gold Certificate was released in 1882. This bill was revised in 1913 when Ulysses S. Grant’ s picture appeared on the front. In 1914, the first $50 Federal Reserve Note featured Ulysses S. Grant on the front and a mythical design of Panama between an armored warship and a merchant on the back.

The design of the $50 Federal Reserve Note contained a portrait of Ulysses S. Grant on the obverse and a picture of the U.S. Capitol on the reverse, when all U.S. money was switched to its smaller, current size. The $50 Federal Reserve Note had a green seal and serial numbers, while the $50 Gold Certificate had a golden-color seal and serial numbers. As the years went by, the lay out of the $50 bill changed slightly but it kept the same basic design. In 1991, new security features such as microprinting and a plastic security strip were added. Then in later years, more security features such as a watermark and glow-in-the-dark security thread included.

The current Canadian $50 bill is mostly red in color. On the front, there is a photo of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the coat of arms, and a photo of the Tower of the Parliament buildings. The reverse of the bill shows the theme of Canadian human rights history.

Security features on the front of the bill include a holographic stripe on the left side, which depicts the number 50 alternated with maple leaves, there is also a watermark of the King’s portrait, and last, there is a broken-up number 50, which goes back together when backlit. The security feature on the reverse is a interleaved metallic strip, which has “50 CAN” along it length. The 2004 bills also have yellow dots which represent the EURion constellation and a tactile feature which similar to braille dots for the blind to identify the bill.