You probably have one in your wallet right now. It’s that familiar green-tinted paper, slightly worn at the edges, featuring a man with wild, windswept hair and a look that suggests he might have just finished a shouting match. But if you stop and actually look at it, you might realize you haven't thought about who is on the 20 dollar bill in years.
It’s Andrew Jackson. The seventh President of the United States.
He’s been the face of the twenty since 1928, which is kind of funny when you realize Jackson actually hated paper money and spent a good chunk of his presidency trying to destroy the Second Bank of the United States. He was a "hard money" guy. He preferred gold and silver. Putting his face on a Federal Reserve Note is, in a way, the ultimate historical prank.
Why Andrew Jackson?
Honestly, there isn't a dramatic, secret reason why Jackson ended up there. Before 1928, the $20 bill actually featured Grover Cleveland. When the Treasury Department decided to standardize the size and design of U.S. currency, they shuffled the portraits. Jackson moved to the twenty, and Cleveland was bumped to the $1,000 bill—a denomination most of us will never see outside of a museum or a very high-stakes heist movie.
The Treasury Department’s official stance is that they choose portraits of people whose "place in history the American people know well." In the 1920s, Jackson was still viewed largely as the hero of the Battle of New Orleans and a champion of the "common man." He was the first president not from the wealthy elite of Virginia or Massachusetts. He was a brawler. A populist.
But history is messy.
Jackson’s legacy is increasingly defined by the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Trail of Tears. Because of this, the question of who is on the 20 dollar bill has become one of the most heated debates in American numismatics. It’s not just about money anymore; it’s about what—and who—we value as a culture.
📖 Related: Is there actually a legal age to stay home alone? What parents need to know
The Harriet Tubman Shift
Back in 2016, the Obama administration announced a massive change. Jack Lew, the Treasury Secretary at the time, confirmed that Harriet Tubman would replace Jackson on the front of the bill.
It was a huge deal.
Tubman, the "Moses of her people," escaped slavery and then went back into the South roughly 13 times to lead dozens of others to freedom via the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, she was a scout, a spy, and the first woman to lead an armed assault. She’s a legitimate American hero.
The plan was to move Jackson to the back of the bill, perhaps sharing space with a depiction of the White House. But then, politics happened. The Trump administration delayed the redesign, with then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin citing technical reasons, specifically the need to improve anti-counterfeiting features first.
Where are we now?
Currently, the Biden administration has resumed the Tubman 20 project. But you can't just click "print" on a new bill. Designing currency is a nightmare of engineering. You have to weave in 3D security ribbons, color-shifting ink, and watermarks that can't be easily faked by someone with a high-end inkjet printer.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is working on it, but the current timeline suggests we won't see Harriet Tubman in our ATMs until closer to 2030. These things move at the speed of bureaucracy.
👉 See also: The Long Haired Russian Cat Explained: Why the Siberian is Basically a Living Legend
Interesting Quirks About the Current Twenty
If you look at a modern $20 bill—the Series 2004 or later—you’ll notice things that weren't there in your parents' generation. There's a faint yellow "20" printed in the background. There are tiny yellow "0s" scattered around, forming what’s known as the EURion constellation. This is a pattern that tells photocopiers and scanners: "Hey, don't copy this." If you try to scan a twenty, many modern programs will simply refuse to open the file.
The background colors are subtle. There’s green, sure, but also peach and blue. It’s a far cry from the "small head" bills that circulated for most of the 20th century.
- The Signature: Every bill features the signature of the Treasurer of the United States and the Secretary of the Treasury.
- The Seal: To the left of the portrait, there’s a black seal representing the Federal Reserve Bank that issued the bill.
- The Serial Numbers: These are unique. If you have two bills with the exact same serial number, one of them is definitely a fake (or you’ve found a very rare, very valuable printing error).
Why the $20 is the "Target" Bill
The twenty is the most frequently counterfeited note in the United States. Internationally, the $100 bill is the favorite of counterfeiters, but domestically, it’s the $20. Why? Because most people don't check them.
Think about it. If you hand a cashier a $100 bill, they’re going to pull out that little amber detector pen or hold it up to the light to look for the watermark. If you hand them a $20, they usually just drop it in the drawer. It’s the highest denomination that people treat as "everyday money."
This is exactly why the redesign is taking so long. The Treasury isn't just swapping a face; they are trying to stay three steps ahead of people with very sophisticated printing presses.
Beyond the Portrait: Symbols and Secrets
Flip the bill over. You see the White House.
✨ Don't miss: Why Every Mom and Daughter Photo You Take Actually Matters
It’s the North Portico. Interestingly, there are no people depicted in the scene, which gives it a somewhat ghostly, stagnant feel. Over the years, "conspiracy theorists" have tried to find all sorts of hidden meanings in the engravings—everything from secret Masonic symbols to omens of future events.
Reality is more boring. The engravers at the BEP are just incredibly skilled artists who use fine lines and cross-hatching to create depth. Those lines are almost impossible to replicate perfectly by hand or machine.
Practical Steps for Handling Your Twenties
Since you now know who is on the 20 dollar bill and why that might change soon, it's worth knowing how to make sure the ones you have are real. You don't need a degree in forensic science.
- Feel the paper. U.S. currency isn't actually paper. It’s 75% cotton and 25% linen. It has a distinct raised texture, especially on Jackson’s coat. If it feels smooth or like "magazine paper," it’s a dud.
- Check the watermark. Hold the bill up to a light. You should see a faint image of Andrew Jackson in the blank space to the right of the portrait. It should be visible from both sides.
- The Security Thread. Look for a vertical plastic strip embedded in the paper. On the $20, it’s located to the left of the portrait. It says "USA TWENTY" and has a small flag. If you put it under UV light, that strip glows green.
- Color-Shifting Ink. Tilt the bill. The number "20" in the lower right-hand corner on the front should shift from copper to green.
If you happen to find an old bill—one from before 1990—it won't have the security thread or the watermark. Those are still legal tender, but they are becoming increasingly rare in general circulation.
The $20 bill is in a state of transition. We are living through the tail end of the "Jackson Era" of American cash. Whether you view him as a founding hero or a symbol of a dark past, his time on the money is officially winding down. Within the next decade, the answer to the question of who is on the 20 dollar bill will finally change, marking the first time a woman has been the primary face of a major U.S. Federal Reserve Note in over a century.
Keep an eye on your change. The history of American power is literally printed on those scraps of cotton and linen, and the next chapter is currently being engraved.