Cotton and U.S. Currency According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, US paper currency is made up of 75% cotton and 25% linen. That is, there are three-fourths of a pound of cotton in each pound of dollar bills. This same source also informs us that there are 454 bills in a pound of currency. During Fiscal Year 2009, over six billion bills of all denominations were printed in the United States, consuming 21,476 bales of cotton. The total dollar value of these bills was two hundred and nineteen billion dollars, or $21,290.55 per pound of cotton. Now THAT is value added.
Denomination	Bills Printed (FY 2009)	Cotton Used (lbs)	Cotton Used (bales)	Value of Cotton (Approx. $0.70/lb)	Value of Currency Printed
$1	2,636,800,000	4,355,947	9,075	3,049,163	$2,636,800,000
$2	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
$5	384,000,000	634,361	1,322	444,053	$1,920,000,000
$10	345,600,000	570,925	1,189	399,648	$3,456,000,000
$20	716,800,000	1,184,141	2,467	828,899	$14,336,000,000
$50	371,200,000	613,216	1,278	429,251	$18,560,000,000
$100	1,785,600,000	2,949,780	6,145	2,064,846	$178,560,000,000
Total	6,240,000,000	10,308,370	21,476	7,215,859	$219,468,800,000