You’ve probably looked at a ten-dollar bill a thousand times without really thinking about the guy staring back at you. It’s Alexander Hamilton. He was never a president, which is the first thing that trips people up when they start looking closely at faces in US money. Most of us just see the color and the numbers. We need to buy coffee or pay back a friend, so the history lesson printed on the cotton-linen blend usually takes a backseat to the utility of the cash itself. But the portraits on our currency aren't random. They are the result of specific laws, a bit of political theater, and a very strict rule that you have to be dead to make the cut.
Money talks. Literally.
Since 1866, federal law has prohibited the portrait of any living person from appearing on US securities. This wasn't just a random act of humility by the Founding Fathers. It was actually a reaction to a massive ego trip by a guy named Spencer Clark. During the Civil War, Clark was the superintendent of the National Currency Bureau. He was supposed to put a portrait of William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame) on the five-cent fractional note. Instead, he put his own face on it. Congress was so annoyed by his audacity that they passed a law making it illegal to put a living person's face on money.
So, everyone you see in your wallet is long gone.
The Heavy Hitters: Why These Faces in US Money Stay Put
The current lineup of faces in US money has been remarkably stable since 1928. That was the year the Department of the Treasury decided to standardize the size of our bills and the portraits on them. They wanted images that would be instantly recognizable and difficult to counterfeit.
George Washington is the obvious one. He's on the $1 bill. It’s the most widely circulated note in the world. Washington has been on the dollar since 1869, and honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else there. He’s the "Father of His Country," and the Treasury Department knows that changing the $1 bill would be a logistical nightmare because of vending machines and the sheer volume of notes in circulation.
Then there’s Thomas Jefferson on the $2 bill. People think the $2 bill is rare or "fake," but it’s still being printed. It’s just not used often. Jefferson was the third president and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. On the back of the bill, you see the signing of that document. It’s a very "Founding Father" centric piece of currency.
Abraham Lincoln holds down the $5 bill. This makes sense. He saved the Union. His face has been on the five-spot since 1914. If you look closely at a modern $5 bill, you can see tiny "05" numerals printed in yellow, which is a security feature, but Lincoln’s stoic face remains the focal point.
The Outsiders: Hamilton and Franklin
Now, this is where it gets interesting. Two of the most famous faces in US money belonged to men who were never president.
Alexander Hamilton is on the $10. He was the first Secretary of the Treasury. Without him, the US financial system might have collapsed before it even started. He’s the reason we have a national bank and a unified currency. For a while, there was talk about replacing him with a woman—specifically Harriet Tubman—but then a certain Broadway musical became a global phenomenon. Suddenly, Hamilton was "cool" again. The Treasury decided to keep him on the $10 and look at changing the $20 instead.
Then you have Benjamin Franklin on the $100. The "Benny." The "C-note." Franklin was a scientist, an inventor, and a diplomat. He’s on the largest denomination currently in circulation because his contributions to the American identity were massive. He also probably would have loved being on the most valuable bill, given his practical nature.
The $20 Bill Controversy and Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson is the face on the $20 bill, and he’s easily the most controversial figure in your wallet. He was the seventh president, but he actually hated the idea of paper money. He was a "hard money" guy who preferred gold and silver.
There has been a massive push to replace Jackson with Harriet Tubman. The plan was officially announced in 2016, then stalled during the subsequent administration, and is now back on the development track. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is working on the redesign, but it’s a slow process because they have to bake in a dozen new security features to stop counterfeiters. Adding a new face isn't just about changing the picture; it's about re-engineering the entire bill.
The "Dead" Large Denominations
We don't see them anymore, but there used to be much larger faces in US money. If you were a high-stakes gambler or a bank in the early 20th century, you might have handled these:
- The $500 Bill: Featured William McKinley. These were discontinued in 1969.
- The $1,000 Bill: Featured Grover Cleveland. Most were destroyed, but they are still legal tender if you happen to find one in your attic.
- The $5,000 Bill: Featured James Madison. Only a few hundred are known to exist today.
- The $10,000 Bill: Featured Salmon P. Chase. He was the Secretary of the Treasury under Lincoln. He’s another non-president who made it onto the money because, well, he was the guy in charge of the money at the time.
- The $100,000 Gold Certificate: Featured Woodrow Wilson. These were never meant for public use. They were used for transactions between Federal Reserve banks.
It's kinda wild to think about carrying a $100,000 bill. Today, that’s just a digital transfer, but back then, it was a physical piece of paper with Wilson's face on it.
Why Does the Treasury Choose These People?
The Secretary of the Treasury has the final say on whose face goes where. According to the Treasury’s own documentation, the primary criteria are that the person should have a "permanent stature in American history."
But there’s also the "recognition factor." Portraits are much harder to forge than landscapes or abstract patterns. Humans are biologically wired to recognize faces. If Washington’s nose looks slightly off or his eyes are too wide, your brain flags it as "wrong" almost instantly. This is why the portraits on faces in US money are so detailed. They are created using fine line engraving, a process that creates a distinct "feel" to the ink that you can sense with your fingernail.
Beyond the Portraits: Modern Security
If you look at the $100 bill today, Franklin’s face is still there, but he’s surrounded by high-tech wizardry. There’s a 3D security ribbon that isn't printed on the paper—it’s woven into it. There’s a disappearing bell in an inkwell.
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The faces stay the same to maintain public confidence. If the US suddenly changed every face on every bill, it would cause chaos in international markets. People trust the "Greenback" because it is consistent. Even when the portraits were enlarged and shifted off-center in the late 90s to make room for watermarks, the subjects remained the same.
Actionable Insights for Currency Users and Collectors
Understanding the history of faces in US money isn't just trivia. It helps you spot fakes and understand the value of what you're holding. Here is what you should actually do with this info:
- Check the "Feel" of the Face: On any authentic bill, the portrait should feel slightly raised. Run your fingernail across the jacket of Franklin or Hamilton. You should feel the ridges of the engraving. Counterfeits usually feel flat because they are printed with inkjet or laser printers.
- Look for the Watermark: Hold your $5, $10, $20, $50, or $100 bill up to the light. You should see a faint image of the same face that is on the front of the bill in the white space to the right of the portrait. If the face in the watermark doesn't match the face on the bill (like a Lincoln watermark on a $20 bill), you have a "bleached" note where a lower denomination was reprinted to look like a higher one.
- Don't Spend Your "Star Notes": If you see a small star at the end of the serial number near Washington's or Lincoln's face, keep it. This is a "star note," issued by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to replace a misprinted bill. Collectors pay a premium for these.
- Watch the $20 Bill News: Keep an eye on Treasury announcements regarding the Harriet Tubman $20. When the new design eventually drops, the old Andrew Jackson notes won't become worthless, but the "Series 202x" notes will likely become instant collector's items.
- Verify Large Denominations: If someone tries to sell you a $500 or $1,000 bill, be extremely cautious. While they are legal tender, their collector value far exceeds their face value. Have them appraised by a reputable coin and currency dealer before handing over any cash.
The faces in US money are more than just portraits; they are a 250-year-old security system. They represent the people who built the financial and political foundations of the country, but they also serve as a daily reminder of what the government deems "valuable." Next time you pull out a tenner, give Hamilton a nod. He earned his spot.