Why Is George Washington on the Dollar?
Regarding the portraits that appear on the different denominations of U.S. currency, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing states that "Treasury Department records do not reveal the reason that portraits of these particular statesmen were chosen in preference to those of other persons of equal importance and prominence." Still, plenty of good reasons exist as to why George Washington's face may appear on the most popular currency in circulation today.
Other People Are Reading
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Washington's Face First Appears in 1869
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The familiar face of George Washington appears on the front of the U.S. dollar note and has since 1869 when his portrait was first used. The very first one-dollar notes, however, pictured the secretary of the Treasury at the time, Salmon P. Chase, and not the famous first president of the United States.
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Unanimous Vote for President
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George Washington was the only president to be elected by unanimous vote by the original Electoral College. He became the first president of the new United States of America in 1789. His presidency extended through 1797.
Commander-in-Chief
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During the Revolutionary War years, George Washington served as commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces. He held this critical post from 1775-1783 and was instrumental in the success of the young nation's war against Great Britain.
Familiar Face
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The Bureau of Engraving and Printing states that in 1929, the secretary of the Treasury and others "determined that portraits of presidents of the United States have a more permanent familiarity in the minds of the public than any others." George Washington's face is familiar even to the youngest U.S. citizen and his likeness regularly appears in classrooms around the country.
Fun Fact
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One dollar bills make up nearly 45 percent of all currency printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, making George Washington's face the most widely recognizable in the country, if not the world.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit "capital" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: iChaz (Charlie Ambler) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
