You’re standing at a vending machine or maybe just staring at a crumpled five-dollar bill in your wallet while waiting for coffee. Have you ever actually looked at the faces? Most people just see colors or numbers. But if you’ve ever wondered who is on the bills money, you’re actually looking at a very specific, curated club of American history. It’s not just a random list of presidents. In fact, two of the guys on our most common bills weren't even presidents.
Money is weird. We trust these little pieces of linen-and-cotton paper because the government says they have value. But the portraits? Those are there for a reason. They represent the "founding" and "preserving" of the United States. Since 1928, the lineup has stayed mostly the same, though the designs get high-tech facelifts every few years to stop counterfeiters from getting too creative.
Let's break down the roster.
The Familiar Faces: From Ones to Hundreds
The $1 bill is the workhorse. You see George Washington every single day. He’s been there since 1869, looking stoic. Interestingly, the portrait on the dollar is actually unfinished. Gilbert Stuart, the artist, never actually finished the original painting, but the U.S. Mint didn't seem to mind. Washington is the obvious choice—the "Father of his Country." He’s the only one who doesn't feel like a debate.
Then you have the $2 bill. It’s the "lucky" bill or the "weird" bill, depending on who you ask. Thomas Jefferson is the face of the deuce. People think they’re rare or out of print, but you can literally walk into almost any bank and ask for a stack of them. They just don't circulate because people hoard them like they're worth a fortune. They aren't. They’re worth two dollars.
Abraham Lincoln owns the $5 bill. Honestly, he’s probably the most recognizable figure in American history. The current five-dollar bill has a giant purple "5" on the back to help people with visual impairments, but Abe stays central.
✨ Don't miss: Bed and Breakfast Wedding Venues: Why Smaller Might Actually Be Better
Now, here is where it gets interesting.
The $10 bill features Alexander Hamilton. He wasn't a president. He was the first Secretary of the Treasury, a Broadway star (sorta), and the guy who basically invented the American financial system. There was a huge push a few years ago to replace him with a woman, but then the musical Hamilton became a global phenomenon and the Treasury decided to keep him. Success has its perks.
Andrew Jackson is on the $20. This is the one people talk about the most lately. There has been a long-standing plan to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, moving Jackson to the back or off entirely. As of now, Jackson is still there. He was a controversial figure, a populist who actually hated the idea of paper money and national banks. There is a deep irony in his face being the most dispensed note from ATMs.
Ulysses S. Grant is on the $50. He was the General who won the Civil War and the 18th president. For a long time, the $50 was considered "unlucky" by professional gamblers and some soldiers. They wouldn't even touch them.
Finally, the big one. Benjamin Franklin. The $100 bill.
🔗 Read more: Virgo Love Horoscope for Today and Tomorrow: Why You Need to Stop Fixing People
"All about the Benjamins." Franklin was a scientist, an inventor, a diplomat, and a writer. Like Hamilton, he was never president. He’s on the hundred because he was instrumental in the founding of the country and, frankly, he was the face of American common sense.
Why These People and Not Others?
The Secretary of the Treasury has the final say. By law, they can’t put a living person on money. That’s a rule that dates back to the early days of the republic because we wanted to distance ourselves from European monarchs who put their own faces on coins while they were still sitting on the throne. We wait until you’re gone to judge your legacy.
The Secret High-Denomination Bills
You don't see these at Target.
- The $500 bill: Features William McKinley. These were officially discontinued in 1969.
- The $1,000 bill: Features Alexander Hamilton (again!) on some older versions, but most famously Grover Cleveland.
- The $5,000 bill: Features James Madison.
- The $10,000 bill: Features Salmon P. Chase. He was the Treasury Secretary under Lincoln. He actually put his own face on the $1 bill while he was still in office! Talk about an ego.
- The $100,000 bill: Features Woodrow Wilson. These were never meant for us. They were used for transactions between Federal Reserve banks before we had electronic wire transfers.
How to Spot a Fake Without a Pen
If you're handling cash, especially the big bills, you should know that the portraits are more than just art. They are security features.
On a real bill, the portrait is incredibly detailed. Look at the eyes. On a genuine note, the eyes are sharp and clear. On a counterfeit, they often look muddy or flat. The printing is "intaglio," which means the ink is slightly raised. If you run your fingernail over the jacket of Benjamin Franklin or Andrew Jackson, you should feel a distinct texture. If it's smooth as a laser-printed photo, you've got a problem.
💡 You might also like: Lo que nadie te dice sobre la moda verano 2025 mujer y por qué tu armario va a cambiar por completo
The "Who is on the bills money" question often leads people to the "broken heart" myth on the $100 or secret owls in the corners of the $1. Most of that is just internet lore. The real "secrets" are things like microprinting. On the $5 bill, if you have a magnifying glass, you can see "United States of America" printed along the borders of the portrait. It’s tiny. Smaller than a grain of sand.
The Future of the Wallet
The Department of the Treasury is currently working on the "NextGen" currency. This isn't just about changing faces; it's about staying ahead of digital scanners. The $10, $5, and $20 are all slated for redesigns over the next decade.
We know Harriet Tubman is coming to the $20. The current timeline suggests the new $20 will be unveiled around 2030. These things move at the speed of a glacier because every vending machine, ATM, and self-checkout kiosk in the world has to be updated to recognize the new paper.
Actionable Steps for Cash Handling
If you find yourself holding a bill that feels "off," don't just pass it to the next person. That’s technically a crime. Here is what you actually do:
- Check the Watermark: Hold the bill up to a light. You should see a faint image of the person in the portrait in the white space to the right. If the watermark is Abraham Lincoln but the bill is a $20, it’s a bleached note.
- Look for the Security Thread: Every bill from the $5 up has a vertical plastic strip embedded in the paper. If you hit it with a UV light, they glow different colors: $5 is blue, $10 is orange, $20 is green, $50 is yellow, and $100 is pink.
- Feel the Paper: Real money isn't paper; it's fabric. It shouldn't feel like the stuff in your printer. If it feels like a magazine page or a flyer, it's fake.
- Tilt for Color-Shifting Ink: On denominations $10 and higher, the number in the bottom right corner changes color when you tilt it. On the $100, the copper Bell in the Inkwell also shifts to green.
Understanding who is on our money helps you appreciate the history, but knowing how that money is made keeps you from getting scammed. Keep an eye on those portraits—they're doing more work than you think.