You’ve probably heard the rumors. Maybe you saw a grainy mock-up on social media or read a headline about a "delay" three years ago and figured the whole thing just fell through. It’s been a decade since the U.S. Treasury first teased the idea of putting Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, and honestly, the timeline has been a mess.
People are frustrated. I get it. We were told 2020. Then we were told 2026. Now, the official word from the Treasury and the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence (ACD) Steering Committee points toward a much longer wait.
The short version? You won’t be pulling a Harriet Tubman twenty out of an ATM this year. Or next year. Or even the year after that.
The $20 bill harriet tubman Timeline: What’s Actually Happening?
Right now, as we sit in early 2026, the $20 bill harriet tubman project is technically "on track," but the track is incredibly long. The U.S. government doesn't just swap a face on a bill like you’d change a profile picture. It’s a massive security overhaul.
Current projections from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) have the $20 redesign scheduled for a 2030 release.
Why the wait? It basically comes down to a "security first" lineup. The Treasury prioritizes denominations based on how often they are faked. Because the $10 and $50 are considered more vulnerable to certain types of high-tech counterfeiting right now, they are ahead of the $20 in the queue.
Here is the current "reveal" sequence:
- $10 Note: Scheduled for 2026 (this is the one we'll see first).
- $5 Note: Expected around 2028.
- $20 Note: Slated for 2030.
- $50 Note: Looking at 2032.
- $100 Note: Pushed out to 2034.
It’s a fourteen-year plan. Fourteen years!
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Why can't they just speed it up?
You’d think with all our technology, we could print a new bill in a weekend. Nope. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has reaffirmed the commitment to the Tubman $20, but she’s also bound by the technical requirements of the BEP. A new bill requires new tactile features for the blind, color-shifting inks that can't be bought at a craft store, and complex watermarks.
There was a moment during the previous administration where the project seemed dead in the water. Former Secretary Steven Mnuchin famously stated in 2019 that he was focusing on "security features" rather than "aesthetics." That slowed things down significantly. When the Biden administration took over, they "resumed efforts," but they couldn't magically erase the years of lost development time.
Designing money is a grind. It’s basically high-stakes engineering.
What the New Bill Will Actually Look Like
We haven't seen the final, official "engraved" version yet. That’s top-secret stuff. However, we do know the general concept.
Harriet Tubman—the "Moses of her people," a Union spy, and a suffragist—will replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the bill. This is a huge deal. Tubman will be the first African American on a U.S. banknote and the first woman in over a century (since Martha Washington appeared on silver certificates in the late 1800s).
But Andrew Jackson isn't disappearing entirely.
The current plan is to move Jackson to the back of the bill. He’ll likely be part of a smaller vignette featuring the White House. It’s a compromise that hasn't made everyone happy. Some people want him gone entirely because of his history as a slaveholder and his role in the Trail of Tears. Others think it’s "political correctness" run amok.
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The "Hidden" Symbolism
There is a poetic irony to Tubman being on the twenty.
Historians like Kate Clifford Larson have pointed out that $20 was the exact amount of Tubman’s monthly pension for her service as a nurse and spy during the Civil War. She had to fight for years to get that money. Now, over a century after her death in 1913, that specific amount will bear her face.
It's a "full circle" moment if I've ever seen one.
The Counterfeit Problem (The Real Reason for the Delay)
Every time the Treasury talks about the $20 bill harriet tubman, they mention "counterfeit deterrence." It sounds like an excuse, but the $20 is actually the most frequently counterfeited bill within the United States. Overseas, it’s the $100, but here at home? It’s the twenty.
The new bill isn't just about a portrait. It's about:
- Tactile Features: Raised bumps or textures so the visually impaired can tell a $20 from a $1.
- High-Security Threads: Plastic strips embedded in the paper that glow under UV light.
- 3-D Security Ribbons: Like the ones on the current $100 bill, where images move when you tilt the note.
Developing these features for the $20 is harder than for the $100 because the $20 circulates way more. It gets folded, washed in jeans, and passed through greasy hands at fast-food windows. The security features have to be "rugged."
What You Can Do Right Now
Since the actual $20 bill harriet tubman won't be in your wallet for another four years, some people have taken matters into their own hands.
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You might have seen the "Tubman Stamps." An artist named Dano Wall created a 3D-printed stamp that fits perfectly over Andrew Jackson’s face on existing $20 bills. It’s a form of "guerrilla currency."
Is it legal? Mostly.
According to U.S. Code Title 18, Section 333, it’s illegal to "deface" currency to the point where it’s unfit to be reissued. However, the Federal Reserve usually considers stamped bills legal tender as long as the denomination and security features (like the watermark) are still visible. Banks might pull them from circulation to be destroyed, but you can generally still spend them.
Actionable Steps for the Curious:
- Track the $10 Release: Keep an eye on the Treasury’s announcements later this year (2026). The new $10 bill will give us our first look at the new design language that will eventually be used for the Tubman $20.
- Visit the BEP: If you’re in D.C., the Bureau of Engraving and Printing tour is actually pretty cool. You can see how the current "Series 2004" notes are made and sometimes get a glimpse of the R&D for future series.
- Check the "Harriet Tubman Tribute Act": Legislators like Senator Jeanne Shaheen are still pushing bills (like the 2025 version) to ensure the Treasury doesn't backslide on the 2030 deadline. Following the status of these bills in Congress is the best way to see if the timeline is shifting.
Don't expect a sudden surprise. The U.S. government typically starts a "public education campaign" about 12 to 18 months before a new bill hits the streets. So, if we’re aiming for 2030, you won't see official posters and "look for these features" ads until late 2028 or early 2029.
Until then, Andrew Jackson stays in your pocket. Tubman is coming, but she’s taking the slow road—which, considering her life’s work, is a journey she’s well-prepared for.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the U.S. Currency Education Program (CEP) website. They are the official source for when the new "Series" years are designated. Once you see "Series 2030" mentioned in their technical bulletins, you'll know the Tubman twenty is finally hitting the presses.