To celebrate Presidents’ Day, we have a history lesson in the presidents that are featured on our money today.
As we celebrate Presidents’ Day, Milledgeville State Bank thought it would be fun to take a look at the presidents featured on our paper money. Treasury.gov says that their records don’t suggest why specific presidents and statesmen were chosen for each bill. But let’s look at some of the facts about these historical leaders to figure out how true that is.
George Washington – Our first president was first put on the dollar bill in 1869 – seven years after the bill was first printed. This Founding Father has also been pictured on the quarter since 1924 when Congress voted to mint a Washington quarter in honor of the 200th anniversary of his birth.
Abraham Lincoln – The 16th US president is credited with saving the Union and ending slavery in the nation. He has appeared on the $5 bill since 1914. In 1909, Teddy Roosevelt commissioned the Lincoln penny to celebrate Lincoln’s 100th birthday.
Alexander Hamilton – Featured on the $10 bill, Hamilton was the first US Secretary of the Treasury. He is one of only two non-presidents pictured on US paper money. Up until 1861, Lincoln was the face of a $10 bill.
Andrew Jackson – Jackson’s face replaced Cleveland’s on the $20 bill in 1928. Since then, several petitions have gone around to have this controversial political figure’s image removed.
Ulysses S. Grant – Civil War general and 18th US President Ulysses S. Grant first appeared on the $50 bill in 1913. Legislation to put Ronald Reagan on the bill instead of Grant has been introduced to Congress on two occasions in the last 10 years, but has been voted down both times.
As you can see, there has been conflict and change regarding our paper money in the last 100 years. It will be interesting to see if any of the historical figures featured on our bills will change in the future. For advice on saving more and spending less of your Lincolns and Grants, talk to experts at Milledgeville State Bank. We have a number of savings and checking accounts to fit your needs.