Image via Wikipedia

One of the goals of MoneyCents is to pass along financial knowledge that is appropriate for many generations, hopefully making your Grandchildren (and perhaps even you) very comfortable with discussing money and all the varied topics that go along with it. Part of our American History that fits in very well with the upcoming President’s Day is that our presidents are the faces on the money we handle every day. But why? And who?

The First Face on US Money

When the newly-formed United States of America minted its early coinage, it was Miss Liberty (sometimes referred to as a goddess of liberty in early numismatic writings) whose portrait appeared on our coins. The American Eagle usually appeared on the reverse.

The First President Offered the Chance to be on Money

George Washington was the first president offered a chance to be on US money, and he turned the chance down! Why? Because he believed, as did many founding fathers, that it was unpatriotic to have a living person honored on money.

The First President Featured on Money

In 1909, the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, a president was first featured on U.S. coinage. The Lincoln Cent was intended to be only a special commemorative, but it proved so popular that it endures to this day! Other dead presidents soon followed, and we are all familiar with the Jefferson Nickel, Roosevelt Dime, Washington Quarter.

It is Illegal to Put Someone Alive on US Money

It is actually a Federal Law that you must be dead TWO YEARS before you can make a debut on US money. This was a tradition long before it was put into law, one started with, you guessed it George Washington.

Who is on Our Money?

The presidential faces that have adorned our currency have changed over the years, most notably in the collection of Presidential Dollar Coins where many presidents have graced the new dollar coins. There have been, however, many bills and coins that haven’t seen as much change in recent years.

• Penny (1¢): President Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States
• Nickel (5¢): President Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States
• Dime (10¢): President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States
• Quarter (25¢): President George Washington, First President of the United States
• Half Dollar (50¢): President John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
• One Dollar Bill ($1): President George Washington, First President of the United States
• Two Dollar Bill ($2): President Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States
• Five Dollar Bill ($5): President Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States
• Ten Dollar Bill ($10): Alexander Hamilton, First US Secretary of the Treasury
• Twenty Dollar Bill ($20): President Andrew Jackson, Seventh President of the United States
• Fifty Dollar Bill ($50): President Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States
• Hundred Dollar Bill ($100): Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father
• Five Hundred Dollar Bill ($500): President William McKinley, 25th President of the United States
• One Thousand Dollar Bill ($1,000): President Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th President of the United States
• Five Thousand Dollar Bill ($5,000): President James Madison, Fourth President of the United States
• Ten Thousand Dollar Bill ($10,000): Salmon P. Chase, US Secretary of the Treasury
• One Hundred Thousand Dollar Bill ($100,000): President Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States

Currency that was $500 bill or higher were all discontinued in 1969, and the $100,000 bill was used by the government only. The dollar coin was excluded from this list because it has so many designs that almost everyone has their face on a $1 coin.

Hope that perhaps you found something fun to start a conversation with your grandchildren about on President’s Day.

Related articles

• President’s Day History to Share with Your Grandkids (grandmacents.com)