How could something so familiar be so new?

The Federal Reserve introduced the one dollar bill in . . . believe it or not, 1963. That's according to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's excellent website, American Currency Exhibit, which offers historical background as well as lots of beautiful images of currency since the colonial period. I polled a number of colleagues on my corridor the other day and all were, like me, astounded to realize that an object so much a part of everyday life could be so new.