If you are a human on planet Earth, you need money. We all carry it. We try hard to earn it. And whether it is found in the form of plastic, paper, or various alloys, we all depend on it every day. Money is important.
Though not overly fond of conversation, and perhaps lacking some degree of social adequacy, I do occasionally talk to people. As a sort of sociological experiment, from time to time I have asked folks this question – who’s on our money? Call me curious. Maybe I have been hobnobbing with the wrong crowd, but I can honestly say that I have yet to meet one person who could accurately identify all the fine Americans pictured on our currency and coin. Yes, almost everyone knows who is on the one-dollar bill, and most can identify the face on the five. But when it comes to the $2, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills, they are often at a loss. And then we have coins. Who’s that guy on the nickel? I have been flummoxed to realize that most citizens do not know who is shown on our money. Maybe most don’t care, but I happen to think this is important. Our money reflects our history. We need to know it.
I think this history is especially important as time marches on and things change. There is talk of swapping out some of those pictured on our bills now. It is rumored that Harriet Tubman is scheduled to replace Hamilton on the $10 bill sometime in the future (or maybe replace Jackson on the $20). If this must be done, Harriet Tubman is indeed a worthy candidate. Her exploits ferrying runaway slaves to freedom, pistol in hand, on the Underground Railroad is the stuff of legend. She deserves to be honored. But I shudder to think of what is in store for us in the future when the shallow people take charge. Imagine Taylor Swift on the twenty? Arghhhh……
All that being said, for those who want to know, here’s a brief primer regarding the storied folks you might find in your wallet, purse, or closet coin jar. Let’s start with folding money first.
~ $1 bill – George Washington – Our first president and often called the Father of our Country, George Washington graces the one-dollar bill. As Commander of the Continental Army, he led our patriot forces to victory against the British in the Revolutionary War.
~ $2 bill – Thomas Jefferson – You don’t often see two-dollar bills in circulation, but they are out there. On the two you will see the face of our third president, Thomas Jefferson. He is probably most famous for penning the Declaration of Independence.
~ $5 bill – Abraham Lincoln – Our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln is credited with holding the Union together during the Civil War and playing a major role in the abolition of slavery. He was our first Republican president and the first president assassinated in office.
~ $10 bill – Alexander Hamilton – Another Founding Father, military officer, and statesman, Alexander Hamilton is pictured on the ten-dollar bill. He served as our first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under Washington.
~ $20 bill – Andrew Jackson – Our 7th president, Andrew Jackson is found on the twenty-dollar bill. He was a U.S. Army general and served in both houses of Congress before being elected president in 1829.
~ $50 bill – Ulysses S. Grant – Our 18th president, Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Army to victory against the Confederacy in the Civil War. Along with his military accomplishments, I think Grant is on the fifty-dollar bill in part because he has a cool beard.
~ $100 bill – Benjamin Franklin – Immortalized on the one-hundred-dollar bill is the brilliant Benjamin Franklin – writer, inventor, statesman, scientist, political philosopher, and polymath. His immense contributions to America’s identity and founding cannot be overstated.
Pictured on our U.S. coins, we see some of these same notable figures. Abraham Lincoln is found on the penny. Thomas Jefferson is on the nickel. On the dime we see Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). He was our 32nd president and guided the U.S. through the perils of WWII. George Washington graces the quarter. The fifty-cent piece shows our 35th president, John F. Kennedy (JFK). Sadly, he was the fourth U.S. president assassinated in office. Though not often seen in circulation, we do have one-dollar coins in our money supply. The current issue shows Sacagawea, known for her vital role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806). Don’t mistake these coins for quarters.
The next time you toss a few bills on the table to pay for your brisket lunch or breakfast tacos, you might glance at the faces found on those green bills and remember some of what they did for us. They were fine Americans and deserve to be remembered…
© 2025 Jody Dyer
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