Much of the coverage on Sir Edmund Hillary’s death mentioned he was on New Zealand’s $5 bill. That suprised me since as an American no living people are allowed to be on our currency. How common is it for living people (outside of monarchs and dictators) to be on currency?
The Royal Bank of Scotland has paid tribute to two living persons in this way.
In 2005 the institution issued 2 million £5 notes graced by the visage of Jack Nicklaus and five years earlier the same bank commemorated the 100th birthday of the late Queen Mother (RIP) with the issue of 2 million £20 notes.
To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Canada’s victory over the Soviets in the Summit Series, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a silver dollar with Paul Henderson , the man who scored the winning goal with 34 seconds to go.
I knew and worked with two nephews of former President Aylwin of Chile. He was one of their banknotes during his presidency. One of my co-workers had one of them, signed by his uncle, pinned up in his cube.
It’s quite rare for the living to appear on banknotes internationally. The Reserve Bank governor at the time, Don Brash, only gave way and allowed Hillary on the $5 note because there were no other options, and because Hillary was hardly likely to blot his copybook before he died.
Isn’t Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait found on a boatload of notes around the commonwealth?
Heck, we have Bret Favre’s mug on our currency in Wisconsin.
Just kidding, but what about it?
I think the Queen, or any monarch, is the exception as a head of state, not someone being commemorated.
yes, but the OP excluded current heads of state from the inquiry.
If my understanding of how the First Spouse Program is correct then it’s possible that a living person could appear on American coinage. Only the spouses of Presidents honored by the Presidential $1 Coin program are eligable, and to be so honored the President must be dead at least two years by the program’s end. There doesn’t appear to be any requirement that the widow(er) herself must be dead. However the coins in question are gold eagles ($10 coins) and not meant for actual circulation.
A few months ago, about a year after taking office, we got new banknotes with the new king on 'em.
I think it might be rare even for dictators. Hitler was never depicted on German banknotes or coins, was he?
I don’t know about Hilter, but Fransisco Franco appeared on Spanish coins during his rule. Franco however became regent of Spain after he reestablished the monarcy and was king in all but name. He made an effort to surround himself with all the trapping of a Spanish monarch.
He wasn’t. He was depicted on stamps though. Royalties from that were a major source of income for him (seriously.)
It’s no longer the case to put living US figures on currency, but i’ve read that Lincoln was so depicted during his lifetime. Probably the last case.
I have a couple of bills of one-million zaires with Mobutu Sese Seko on them, which I got when I was in Zaire (now Congo-Kinshasha once again) in 1992. Mobutu was still alive at the time. One million zaires were worth a bit over a dollar, and that was the local price of a bottle of beer in the Ituri Forest region, where I was at the time.
Colibri’s First Law of Economics: You know a country’s in trouble when you have to be a millionaire to buy a beer.
Hilario Gelbolingo Davide, Jr., the current Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, held the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1998-2005. During his period of office he swore in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as president of the Philippines and a picture of the ceremony appears on the reverse of the 200 peso note first issued in 2002.
Isn’t the astronaut on the back of the Ohio State Quarter supposed to represent John Glenn?
Yes, but you can’t see his face- which is why it was allowed. As far as the Mint is concerned, it doesn’t actually show John Glenn.
Please don’t taunt the cheddarheads. They won’t get it, or worse, will take it seriously and start a petition drive.