This President’s Day – some fun facts. Every time you reach into your wallet, you’re greeted by the faces of some of the most influential figures in American history. From the humble penny to the mighty hundred-dollar bill, U.S. currency features the portraits of former presidents, each leaving a lasting legacy on the nation. In this article, we’ll take a journey through the presidents immortalized on U.S. currency, exploring their contributions and the significance of their presence on our bills and coins.
1. George Washington: The Father of the Nation (One Dollar Bill)
- George Washington, the first president of the United States, graces the one-dollar bill. His leadership during the American Revolutionary War and his role in shaping the early republic earned him the title “Father of His Country.” Washington’s stoic portrait on the one-dollar bill serves as a reminder of the nation’s founding principles and the values he embodied.
2. Thomas Jefferson: Architect of Democracy (Two Dollar Bill)
- Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States, is depicted on the rarely seen two-dollar bill. Jefferson’s contributions to American democracy, including the expansion of individual liberties and the Louisiana Purchase, cement his place in history as an architect of the nation’s foundation.
3. Abraham Lincoln: Emancipator and Unifier (Five Dollar Bill)
- Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, is honored on the five-dollar bill. Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War and his efforts to abolish slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment transformed the nation and solidified his legacy as the Great Emancipator and Unifier.
4. Alexander Hamilton: Founding Father and Financial Visionary (Ten Dollar Bill)
- Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers and the first Secretary of the Treasury, graces the ten-dollar bill. Hamilton’s contributions to the nation’s financial system, including the establishment of the national bank and the creation of a stable currency, earned him recognition as a financial visionary and a key architect of American economic policy.
5. Andrew Jackson: Champion of the Common Man (Twenty Dollar Bill)
- Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, is featured on the twenty-dollar bill. Jackson’s populist appeal and his expansion of suffrage to white men without property made him a champion of the common man. However, his legacy is also marked by controversial policies such as the Indian Removal Act and his stance on states’ rights.
6. Ulysses S. Grant: Union General and Reconstructionist (Fifty Dollar Bill)
- Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States and the commanding general of the Union Army during the Civil War, is depicted on the fifty-dollar bill. Grant’s leadership in preserving the Union and his efforts in Reconstruction following the war underscore his place in history as a military hero and a champion of civil rights.
7. Benjamin Franklin: Polymath and Founding Father (One Hundred Dollar Bill)
- Benjamin Franklin, a polymath, Founding Father, and diplomat, graces the one-hundred-dollar bill. Franklin’s contributions to science, literature, and politics, as well as his role in drafting the Declaration of Independence and negotiating the Treaty of Paris, solidify his status as one of America’s foremost statesmen and intellectuals.
Another President’s Day fun fact. Alexander Hamilton and Ben Franklin were never presidents, but they are featured on the $10 and $100 bill, respectively.
Some additional President’s Day trivia:
- It is technically illegal to have a $100,000 note as it was only produced to support transfers between Federal Reserve Banks.
- Each note has two signatures on its face: those of the secretary of the Treasury and the US treasurer. In December 2022, for the first time, these signatures belonged to two women: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Treasurer Lynn Roberge Malerba.
- All deceased presidents have been honored with their portrait on a coin as part of the Presidential $1 Coin program
. The coin honoring the latest deceased president, George H. W. Bush, was issued in 2020. The first president to appear on the $1 coin was Dwight Eisenhower. - The Treasury Department is planning to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 note with abolitionist and social activist Harriett Tubman by 2030.
- Only two presidents have been featured on more than one note. Grover Cleveland’s portrait was on the $20 bill from its first issuance in 1914 until 1929 when it was replaced with Andrew Jackson. President Cleveland was also, as I noted above, on the $1,000 note. Andrew Jackson was on the $10,000 from its first issuance until the note was removed from circulation. His image was put on the $20 note in 1929.
- According to figures from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, maintained by the St. Louis Fed, the total amount of currency and coin in circulation as of December 29, 2022, was almost $2.3 trillion.
- Coins and notes have numerous references to 13 elements relating to the original 13 colonies.
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Where’s George? is a website that allows you to enter the serial number of a bill to track it or to see where it’s been if it is already being tracked.
- According to the Federal Reserve, the average lifespan of the $5 note, at 4.7 years, the shortest of all the notes, while the lifespan of a $100 bill is almost 23 years. A $1 note has an average lifespan of 6.6 years.
Conclusion: This President’s Day, as we navigate our daily lives, the faces of these presidents and Founding Fathers remind us of the ideals and principles upon which the United States was founded. From Washington’s steadfast leadership to Franklin’s intellectual brilliance, each figure immortalized on U.S. currency represents a chapter in the nation’s rich and complex history. So, the next time you reach into your wallet, take a moment to reflect on the legacies of the presidents in your pocket and the enduring impact they have had on the United States and the world.
Something to think about when you buy your next Honey Badger Knife.
