You’ve probably held one today. Maybe you used it to buy a lukewarm coffee or tucked it into a birthday card. It’s the workhorse of the American wallet. But if you actually stop and look at the person staring back at you from the center of that green-and-black paper, you’re looking at Andrew Jackson.
He’s been there since 1928.
Before that, it was Grover Cleveland. Before Cleveland, it was Alexander Hamilton (who eventually got demoted—or promoted, depending on how you feel about the $10 bill). But for nearly a century, Jackson has been the face of the twenty. It’s a bit ironic. Jackson actually hated paper money. He was a "hard money" guy who preferred gold and silver, yet here he is, immortalized on the very thing he tried to destroy.
Most people don't even think about it. We just see the swooping white hair and the intense, somewhat haunting gaze. But whose face is on a twenty dollar bill is actually a subject of massive historical debate and a very slow-moving bureaucratic overhaul.
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The Seventh President’s Long Run
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States. He was a war hero, a populist, and a man of some pretty extreme contradictions. When the Treasury Department decided to put him on the $20 bill in 1928, they didn't really give a clear reason why. It’s not like there’s a secret diary entry from a Treasury official saying, "Let’s put Jackson here because he’s the best."
They just did it.
Back then, the U.S. was standardizing currency sizes. They needed faces that people recognized. Jackson was "Old Hickory." He was a symbol of the common man, even if his actual policies—like the Indian Removal Act and his war on the Second Bank of the United States—remain some of the most controversial chapters in American history.
It’s kind of funny. Jackson’s face is on a twenty dollar bill, yet he basically spent his presidency trying to kill the central banking system that now issues his portrait. He thought the Bank of the United States was a "hydra-headed monster." He vetoed its recharter. He literally bankrupted the thing. If Jackson could see himself on a Federal Reserve Note today, he’d probably be furious. He might even challenge the Secretary of the Treasury to a duel. He was known for those.
The Harriet Tubman Transition
If you’ve been following the news over the last decade, you know Jackson’s time is technically up. Well, eventually.
In 2016, the Treasury Department under Jack Lew announced a massive change. Harriet Tubman, the heroic conductor of the Underground Railroad, was slated to replace Jackson on the front of the bill. This wasn't a snap decision. It came after a huge public campaign called "Women on 20s" that gained massive traction on social media. People wanted to see a woman on American paper currency for the first time in over a century (the last was Martha Washington on a $1 silver certificate in the late 1800s).
Why Tubman? Because her story is the literal embodiment of American freedom. She escaped slavery and then went back—over and over—to rescue others. She was a spy for the Union. She was a suffragist.
But things got complicated.
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The transition stalled during the Trump administration. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary at the time, delayed the redesign, citing technical reasons and the need to focus on security features to prevent counterfeiting. Then, the Biden administration revived it. Now, the official word from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is that the new $20 is in the works.
Why Does It Take So Long To Change a Bill?
You’d think you could just swap a portrait in Photoshop and hit "print." It’s not that simple. Not even close.
U.S. currency is the most targeted for counterfeiting in the world. When the BEP redesigns a bill, they aren't just changing a picture. They are layering in high-tech security features that are hard to replicate. We’re talking about:
- 3D Security Ribbons (like the one on the $100).
- Color-shifting ink that flips from copper to green.
- Watermarks that are embedded into the paper fibers, not just printed on top.
- Microprinting that requires a microscope to read.
The $20 bill is the next in line for a full "security overhaul." According to current Treasury timelines, we likely won't see the Tubman $20 in our hands until 2030 or later. The $10 and $50 bills are actually scheduled for redesigns before the $20 because of specific counterfeiting threats identified by the Secret Service and the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence (ACD) Steering Committee.
It’s a slow burn. A very slow burn.
The Back of the Bill: The White House
While we obsess over the face, the back of the bill has its own story. It features the White House.
If you look closely at the current Jackson twenty, you’re seeing the north portico of the White House. This image hasn't changed much since 1928, though the "vignette" was updated in 1998 to add more detail and make it harder to fake. When the Tubman bill eventually arrives, the plan is to keep the White House on the back but perhaps update the surrounding imagery.
There was a time when the $20 bill looked completely different. In the mid-1800s, before the "Greenback" as we know it existed, various banks issued their own twenty-dollar notes. Some had scenes of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea. Others had depictions of Liberty or even Pocahontas. The standardization we have now is actually a relatively modern invention.
Is the $20 Bill Losing Its Value?
Inflation is a jerk.
Back in 1928, when Jackson first landed on the bill, twenty dollars was a lot of money. It’s roughly equivalent to about $350 today. You could buy a decent suit or pay a good chunk of your rent with a single twenty. Today? It barely covers a fast-food meal for two people.
This has led to some economists suggesting we need a $200 bill, while others argue we should get rid of paper money entirely. But the $20 remains the king of the ATM. It is the most frequently dispensed denomination in the United States. Because of that, whoever is on it becomes a part of the American psyche.
Jackson’s presence is a reminder of a specific era of American expansion and grit, while the move toward Tubman represents a shift toward recognizing the diverse heroes who actually built the country's moral foundation.
Spotting a Fake: What to Look For
Since you're here wondering about whose face is on a twenty dollar bill, you should probably know how to tell if the one in your pocket is real. Counterfeiters love the $20 because it’s high enough value to be worth faking but low enough that most cashiers don't check it as closely as a $100.
- Feel the paper. It’s not actually paper. It’s 75% cotton and 25% linen. It should feel slightly rough to the touch, especially on Jackson’s shirt where there is "intaglio" printing (raised ink).
- Look for the security thread. Hold it up to the light. There should be a vertical plastic strip to the left of the portrait that says "USA TWENTY" and has a little flag.
- Check the watermark. There should be a faint ghost image of Jackson in the blank space to the right of the portrait. If it’s not there, or if it looks like it was drawn on with a marker, it’s a fake.
- The "20" in the corner. The number 20 in the bottom right front corner should shift from copper to green when you tilt the bill.
The "Secret" History of Other $20s
Andrew Jackson wasn't always the guy.
In the 1860s, the $20 bill featured a "Demand Note" with a portrait of Liberty. Later, in the 1880s, the bill featured Stephen Decatur, a naval hero. Then came Grover Cleveland in 1914. Cleveland was actually the first face on the Federal Reserve version of the $20.
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Why did they swap Cleveland for Jackson in 1928? No one knows for sure. Some historians speculate it was to honor Jackson on the 100th anniversary of his election. Others think it was just a random aesthetic choice by the Treasury’s engraving team.
There is also the "mule" bill. In the world of currency collecting, a "mule" is a bill printed with plates that weren't intended to go together. Some $20 bills from the 1930s have slightly different font sizes on the back because of plate mix-ups. These are worth way more than twenty dollars to collectors.
Real Actions for Currency Enthusiasts
If you’re interested in the history of the money in your pocket, don't just read about it.
- Check your serial numbers. If you find a $20 with a "fancy" serial number (like 12345678 or 00000001), it can be worth thousands of dollars to collectors.
- Visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. If you’re ever in Washington, D.C., or Fort Worth, Texas, you can take a tour and see millions of dollars being printed right in front of you. It’s one of the few free things left that is actually cool.
- Watch the Federal Register. If you want to know exactly when Harriet Tubman will debut, keep an eye on official Treasury announcements. The design process is public, and they often release "concept" images years before the bill hits the streets.
The twenty dollar bill is more than just currency. It’s a tiny, portable history lesson that we pass back and forth every day. Whether it’s Jackson’s controversial legacy or Tubman’s upcoming debut, the face on that bill tells us exactly what the country values—or at least, what it’s trying to value—at any given moment.
Next time you get change back at the grocery store, take a second. Look at the engraving. Check the ink. You’re holding a piece of a centuries-old argument about what America is supposed to be.