What Presidents' Faces Are on U.S. Currency?
The faces featured on U.S. currency are important historical figures. Congress and the Secretary of the Treasury choose only a few people to appear on coins and paper currency. It is a privilege usually reserved for presidents, but in some cases other notable figures have been selected.
Other People Are Reading
-
Penny
-
The 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, appears on the front, or obverse, of the one-cent coin. The penny, as it is widely known, was first minted in 1909. The reverse side of pennies made between 1909 and 1958 depicts two sheaves of wheat. A picture of the Lincoln Memorial appears on the pennies minted between 1959 and 2008. In 2009, a new design was issued for the reverse side, showcasing important events of President Lincoln's life.
Nickel
-
The nickel portrays President Thomas Jefferson on its front side and his Virginia home, Monticello, on the reverse. The first five-cent coins were made of silver, but in 1866 Congress instructed the U.S. mint to produce them in nickel and copper.
-
Dime
-
President Franklin Roosevelt first appeared on the face of the dime in 1946, following his death. On the reverse side of the 10-cent coin is a picture of a torch, representing liberty; an olive branch, signifying peace; and an oak branch, symbolizing strength and independence.
Quarter
-
President George Washington has appeared on the front side of the quarter since 1932. The design of the reverse side of the 25-cent coin changed every year between 1999 and 2008 in order to depict all 50 states. Since 2010, the design on the back of the quarter has featured famous sites around the U.S.
Presidential One-Dollar Coins
-
In 2007, dollar coins began to be minted with the faces of U.S. presidents in the order that they served in office. The reverse of these coins has the Statue of Liberty engraved on it.
Paper Currency
-
Five U.S. paper currency denominations in circulation have presidents on their fronts: George Washington on the $1 bill, Thomas Jefferson on the $2 bill, Abraham Lincoln on the $5 bill, Andrew Jackson on the $20 dollar bill and Ulysses S. Grant on the $50 dollar bill. Four bank notes that are no longer in circulation feature presidents: William McKinley on the $500 dollar bill, Grover Cleveland on the $1,000 dollar bill, James Madison on the $5,000 dollar bill and Woodrow Wilson on the $100,000 dollar bill. Two paper currency denominations do not feature a president. The $10 bill has the portrait of the first U.S. treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, on its front, and the $100 dollar bill has founding father Benjamin Franklin on its front.
-
References
- Photo Credit Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
