You’ve held them a thousand times. You’ve probably stuffed a crumpled five into a vending machine or handed over a crisp twenty for a pizza. But honestly, most of us treat the faces on our cash like wallpaper. We know they're important, but the details get fuzzy. People often ask about US paper money presidents as if the list is just a roll call of the White House, but that's actually a bit of a myth.
The Federal Reserve doesn’t just pick people because they were popular. There’s a whole history of politics, legacy, and weird Bureau of Engraving and Printing rules behind why George is on the single and Ben is on the hundred.
Wait. Ben wasn't a president.
That’s the first thing to get straight. Not everyone on our "presidential" currency actually served in the Oval Office. It’s a mix of founding fathers, visionary stay-at-homes, and a couple of guys who basically redefined how American money works. If you've ever looked at a ten-dollar bill and thought, "Wait, did Alexander Hamilton lead the country?"—don't worry. You're not alone. He didn't. He was just the guy who made sure the country didn't go broke in 1790.
The Hierarchy of US Paper Money Presidents (And the Outsiders)
Let’s start with the one everyone knows. George Washington. He’s been the face of the $1 bill since 1869, but he wasn't always there. Before George took over the "one," the bill actually featured Salmon P. Chase. Who? Exactly. Chase was the Secretary of the Treasury under Lincoln, and he basically put his own face on the money because he had the power to do it and, frankly, a bit of an ego. Eventually, the government realized that having the "Father of His Country" on the most-circulated note made way more sense for national identity.
Then you’ve got Thomas Jefferson on the $2 bill. It’s the "weird" money. People think they’re rare or out of print, but you can go to almost any bank right now and ask for a stack of them. They’re just not used because they don’t have a slot in most cash registers. Jefferson is there because he was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, which is famously depicted on the back of the bill in a beautiful, albeit slightly modified, engraving of John Trumbull’s famous painting.
Abraham Lincoln sits on the $5. This feels right. He saved the Union. He’s also the only person on our paper money who faces right—everyone else looks left. Why? There isn't a deep conspiracy here; it was just the choice of the engraver at the time, but it has become a signature look for the "fiver."
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The Non-Presidents on Your Cash
This is where the US paper money presidents conversation gets tricky. Alexander Hamilton ($10) and Benjamin Franklin ($100) are the two glaring exceptions.
Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury. He’s the reason we have a national bank and a unified currency at all. Without him, we might still be trading state-specific scrip that was worthless ten miles across the border. He never sat in the President's chair, but his influence on the American wallet is arguably greater than almost anyone else on this list.
And Franklin? The man on the "C-note." He was a scientist, a diplomat, a writer, and a philosopher. He’s on the largest bill currently in circulation because he represents the American spirit of invention and international standing. Plus, "Benjamins" just sounds better than "Adamses."
Why These Faces Stay the Same
You might wonder why we don't swap these guys out for more modern figures. It’s complicated.
According to the Department of the Treasury, the primary goal of currency design isn't just aesthetics—it's security. Changing a bill is a massive undertaking. We're talking about years of research into anti-counterfeiting measures, color-shifting inks, and 3D security ribbons. When the Treasury "redesigns" a bill, they usually keep the same historical figure because that face is what people recognize. If you change the face, you risk confusing the public and making it easier for counterfeiters to pass off fakes.
There is also a specific law. Federal law prohibits the portrait of any living person from appearing on US currency. You have to be dead to be on the money. This prevents the US from turning into a place where the sitting president just puts their own face on the coins and bills every four years. It’s a safeguard for our democracy, ensuring that only those with a settled, historical legacy get the honor.
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The Andrew Jackson Controversy
Andrew Jackson is on the $20 bill. For a long time, this has been a point of massive debate. Jackson actually hated paper money. He was a "hard money" guy who preferred gold and silver. Putting him on a paper bill is, in a way, the ultimate historical irony.
Beyond that, his legacy regarding the Trail of Tears and the Indian Removal Act has led to calls for his replacement. You probably remember the headlines about Harriet Tubman potentially taking his place. While that plan has moved through various stages of "yes," "no," and "maybe" across different administrations, Jackson remains the face of the twenty for now. It’s a reminder that the faces on our money are often a reflection of the era in which they were chosen—the $20 design we know was largely set in 1928.
The "Large Denomination" Ghosts
Did you know there used to be a $500 bill? Or a $1,000 bill?
If you ever see a $500 bill, you’ll see William McKinley. The $1,000 has Grover Cleveland. There was even a $5,000 bill with James Madison and a $10,000 bill with the aforementioned Salmon P. Chase. The big one, though, was the $100,000 gold certificate, which featured Woodrow Wilson.
These weren't for the public. You wouldn't use a Wilson to buy a car in 1934. They were used for transactions between Federal Reserve banks before the era of digital wire transfers. In 1969, the Treasury officially stopped issuing these large notes because they were mostly being used by organized crime for money laundering. It’s a lot easier to carry a million dollars in $10,000 bills than in $100s.
If you find one of these in your attic, don't spend it at the grocery store. They are legal tender, yes, but their collector value is way higher than their face value. A $500 McKinley in good condition can fetch thousands from a numismatist.
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How to Spot a Fake Using the Portraits
One of the best ways to tell if a bill is real is to look closely at the eyes of the US paper money presidents.
Genuine US currency is printed using a process called intaglio. This creates a distinct texture. If you run your fingernail across the jacket of Franklin or Grant ($50), you should feel ridges. But the real magic is in the portrait. On a real bill, the eyes are lifelike. They have a depth and a "sparkle" that comes from incredibly fine line work.
Counterfeiters often struggle with the portraits. The faces can look flat, the eyes look "dead," or the fine lines of the hair blur together. The Treasury spends a fortune on these engravings because the human brain is hardwired to recognize faces. We notice when something is "off" about a person's face much faster than we notice a mistake in a border pattern or a serial number.
What's Next for the Faces of the US?
We are currently in a period of transition. The "NextGen" currency program is slowly working its way through the $5, $10, and $20 bills.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing has a timeline that stretches into the 2030s. The main focus is security—preventing high-tech scanners and printers from making passable fakes. But the cultural conversation isn't going away. Who we put on our money says a lot about what we value as a nation.
Some argue we should stick to the "founding" era to keep the money "neutral" and historical. Others feel that including figures like Tubman or other civil rights leaders better reflects the "full" American story. Regardless of where you stand, the process is incredibly slow. Don't expect your wallet to look different overnight.
Actionable Insights for Cash Users and Collectors
- Check your $2s: If you have a $2 bill with a red seal instead of a green one, it’s a United States Note rather than a Federal Reserve Note. These can be worth slightly more than face value to collectors.
- Feel the Portrait: Always use your touch. The raised ink on the portraits is one of the hardest things to forge. If the president’s coat feels smooth, the bill is likely a fake.
- The "Star" Note: Look at the serial number. If there is a small star at the end, it means the bill was a replacement for a sheet that was damaged during printing. Collectors love these, especially in higher denominations or older series.
- Use the Light: Hold your $5 and up to the light. You should see a watermark of the person on the bill in the white space to the right of the portrait. If the watermark doesn't match the face on the bill (or isn't there), you're holding a counterfeit.
The faces on our money are more than just art. They are a weird, tactile link to American history that we carry in our pockets every day. Whether it's the stoic gaze of Grant or the smirk of Franklin, these figures have survived centuries of economic shifts, wars, and redesigns. Next time you pay for coffee, take a second to actually look at the person looking back at you. There's a lot more to the story than just a dollar amount.