I use money every day, but I've never really looked at who's printed on it. I just know it's a president, but who exactly? Honestly, I'm a little unsure.
So I thought: Why not find out today? I took out all the bills in my wallet, looked at them one by one, and did some research. To my surprise, this search revealed a lot of things I had never known before.
One Dollar: Everyone Knows Washington
I took out a one-dollar bill first. It's the most common one, green and a little wrinkled. It features a man in old-fashioned clothes, and his face looks very familiar.
I guessed it was George Washington. Right? It should be. He's the first president of the United States, so it makes sense for his image to be here.
I looked it up, and it was indeed him. His face has been on the one-dollar bill since 1869. You could say he's the "old face" of American currency.
Five-dollar bill: Lincoln, the big beard
Then I took out a five-dollar bill. This guy also had a beard, but it was bigger and thicker than Washington's.
I immediately thought of Abraham Lincoln. He often appears in movies, led the Civil War, and freed the slaves.
I looked it up, and sure enough! Lincoln has appeared on five-dollar bills since 1914. His expression is always serious, as if he's contemplating national affairs.
Ten-dollar bill: Wait, he's not the president?
I took out a ten-dollar bill. This guy had slightly curly hair, looked sharp, and wore a formal suit.
My first thought was: Thomas Jefferson? Or Andrew Jackson? I was a little confused.
I quickly opened my phone and searched: "Who's on the ten-dollar bill?"
The result shocked me—Alexander Hamilton!
I was stunned. Hamilton? I'd heard of that name before; he's the protagonist of the musical "Hamilton," but was he ever president?
I looked it up and realized: He never was president. He was the first Secretary of the Treasury and helped establish the nation's banking system. Because of his significant contributions to the economy, he was featured on the ten-dollar bill.
This was the first time I learned that people featured on US dollars aren't always presidents.
Twenty-dollar bill: Andrew Jackson
The man on the twenty-dollar bill looks serious, with a slightly fierce look in his eyes. I remember it was Andrew Jackson.
He was a 19th-century president and general, known for his tough style. However, many now criticize him for his hostile treatment of Native Americans, ordering their expulsion from their homes.
There's a proposal to remove his portrait from the twenty-dollar bill and replace it with a black female leader. But the change hasn't happened yet.
Fifty-dollar bill: Bearded Grant
The fifty-dollar bill features a man with a full beard. I'm guessing it's Ulysses S. Grant.
He was the Union commander during the Civil War and later became president. He's been on the fifty-dollar bill for a long time, since 1913.
His beard is really striking, making him instantly recognizable.
A hundred-dollar bill: Franklin? He wasn't president either!
My favorite thing to check is the hundred-dollar bill. I held it up and looked at the old man with glasses on it.
I blurted out: "Benjamin Franklin!"
He was the scientist who flew kites to study lightning and helped draft the Declaration of Independence.
But then I immediately asked myself: Was he president?
The answer is: No. He never was.
But he's so famous and his contributions were so significant that he's even been printed on the US dollar. And since the hundred-dollar bill is the largest denomination in circulation, he's the most prestigious non-president.
I almost forgot: There are two more!
I thought I'd done my research. But then it suddenly occurred to me: Does the US still have two-dollar bills?
I rummaged through my drawers until I finally found one. It was green, but a little thinner than the others.
Who was printed on it? I couldn't remember.
A quick search revealed it was Thomas Jefferson! He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president.
But the two-dollar bill is rare. Many people have never seen one in their entire lives. It's actually always existed, but banks printed very few, and people didn't use it often. So it's like a "hidden currency," and many people don't know about it.
My List
Finally, I sorted through all the banknotes and created a simple list:https://fairytales.cc/which-us-presidents-appear-on-dollar-bills-easy-guide-to-find-out/
- $1: George Washington (first president)
- $2: Thomas Jefferson (third president, but rarely seen)
- $5: Abraham Lincoln (16th president)
- $10: Alexander Hamilton (not president, but secretary of the treasury)
- $20: Andrew Jackson (7th president)
- $50: Ulysses S. Grant (18th president)
- $100: Benjamin Franklin (not president, but scientist and politician)
A few interesting things I discovered
1. Not everyone printed on money is president. Hamilton and Franklin never served as president, but they were important to the United States, so they were elected.
2. Some presidents don't appear on banknotes. For example, Roosevelt and Kennedy only appear on coins.
3. Banknote designs are actually changing. For example, the twenty-dollar bill might feature a different person. Perhaps we'll see women or Black leaders on bills in the future.
Why is this worth knowing?
I was initially curious about the face on a coffee bill, but ended up learning a lot about American history.
It turns out that behind every dollar bill is not just a number, but a story.
Next time you receive a dollar bill, take a closer look. The person staring back at you might not just be a simple portrait, but a real person who once lived and influenced history.
Sometimes, the most ordinary things hold the most fascinating insights.
Just like today, I got a free history lesson from a cup of coffee.