# extra info on Whose face is on the $1,000 bill? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 2, 2008, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015 "2008-07-02T06:56:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RyanSCoomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RyanSCoomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyanSCoomer)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/1 "2008-07-02T06:56:10Z")
“Who’s Salmon P. Chase, you ask? U. S. Supreme Court Justice, 1864-73. Guess it goes to show, you can never tell who’s collectible.” Actually, there’s more to it than that. Here’s the story: Before Salmon P. Chase became a Supreme Court Justice, Chief Justice in fact, he was Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury. While serving in this position, he oversaw the issuance of legal tender paper currency. He worked out many of the details of its creation and also helped carry the legislation, known collectively as the Legal Tender Acts, through congress. This was essentially the first permanent national currency in America. Chase also had great political aspirations (he was hoping to nab the Republican nomination himself, but lost it to Lincoln), and so he put his own face on a number of bills as a way of self-promotion. I confess I don’t know for sure whether this is how he ended up on the $10,000 bill, or if he was placed there in honor of playing such a large role in the creation of currency as we know it, but I imagine it’s one of the two. In an interesting, and ironic, side note, as Chief Justice, Chase later authored the opinion for \*Hepburn v. Griswold (1870) \*, which declared parts of the Legal Tender Acts, which he authored, unconstitutional. This decision would have effectively ended the production of American paper currency had the decision not been overruled a year later. P.S. In your list of people pictured on large bills you forgot the $100,000 bill which features Woodrow Wilson. Ryan ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/2 "2008-07-02T11:01:06Z")
Welcome to the Boards. A link to the column under discussion is helpful. You can simply copy and past the url here [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/m1000.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/m1000.html) Yeah, that wasn’t one of the better written columns on the board. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/3 "2008-07-02T19:31:02Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Yeah, that wasn’t one of the better written columns on the board. [/QUOTE] That’s odd, it is not even dated. And who the heck is **Div**? No user with that name is found. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/4 "2008-07-02T22:15:56Z")
Chase and his daughter, the ill-fated [Kate Chase Sprague](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Chase), were both major characters in Gore Vidal’s _Lincoln_. Chase also wrote a famous funny endearing father-daughter note. When Kate announced she was going to name her newborn son in his honor he told her (paraphrasing) “Don’t. I appreciate the thought, but one member named for a damned fish is enough for a family”. ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/5 "2008-07-09T03:38:23Z")
That’s a pretty bad report. It’s pretty easy to find the history of really big bills, something the report seems kind of unclear on. A small town banker I know has a couple 1000’s framed in his vault. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/6 "2008-07-09T06:46:52Z")
Just to correct things, Salmon Chase is on the _ **$10,000 bill** _ and Grover Cleveland is on the meager $1,000 bill. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/7 "2008-07-09T22:06:16Z")
And only the $500, $1000 and $100,000 bills have relatively plain backs with ornate writing. The $5000 bill has the painting _Washington Resigning His Commision_ and the $10,000 has a scene of Pilgrims. The $100,000 bill was used only within the government and is an “orangeback” rather than a greenback. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/8 "2008-07-11T09:44:17Z")
[QUOTE=Saint Cad] And only the $500, $1000 and $100,000 bills have relatively plain backs with ornate writing. The $5000 bill has the painting _Washington Resigning His Commision_ and the $10,000 has a scene of Pilgrims. The $100,000 bill was used only within the government and is an “orangeback” rather than a greenback. [/QUOTE] Actually, all of the large-sized bills originally had fancy designs, then switched to text, as you can see on the [website of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing](http://www.moneyfactory.gov/section.cfm/5/42). The $500 had DeSoto discovering the Mississippi River, and the $1000 had an eagle. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/9 "2008-07-12T02:12:41Z")
Is currency above a $100 bill legal tender? If for some reason my grandpa had left me a stack of $500 bills, for instance, could I peel 4 to pay for a $1999.99 computer? For that matter, do McKinley $500 bills have any collectability at above face value? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/10 "2008-07-12T02:42:05Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Is currency above a $100 bill legal tender? If for some reason my grandpa had left me a stack of $500 bills, for instance, could I peel 4 to pay for a $1999.99 computer? For that matter, do McKinley $500 bills have any collectability at above face value? [/QUOTE] According to the BEP, [yes and yes](http://www.moneyfactory.gov/section.cfm/5/42): > [@Bureau of Engraving and Printing](#): > > These notes are legal tender and may be found in circulation today; however, most notes still in circulation are probably in the hands of private numismatic dealers and collectors. If you are interested in purchasing these larger denominations, it is suggested that you contact private dealers or collectors who are usually listed in the classified section of the telephone directory under the headings of “Coins” and “Hobbies.” I’ve seen $500s and $1,000s for sale (for a tad over face value, of course) on eBay and in some coin collecting catalogs. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/11 "2008-07-12T03:59:35Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Is currency above a $100 bill legal tender? If for some reason my grandpa had left me a stack of $500 bills, for instance, could I peel 4 to pay for a $1999.99 computer? For that matter, do McKinley $500 bills have any collectability at above face value? [/QUOTE] Basically, any coins or currency the US Gummint has issued is still legal tender. We, in the coin shop, currently buy/sell $500 notes for $600/700–pretty ratty ones. Middle grade, $675/775. Almost new, $800+/900+ $1000 are even more in demand. From poor to middlin’ to choice, probably $1250/1250, $1400/1500, $1700+/2000+. A new $1000 is probably a $3000+ item. Not at work tonight, so just going from memory. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/12 "2008-07-12T07:40:08Z")
On the other end of the spectrum, I heard there is a, fairly useless, as of yet unminted coin that is nonetheless officially in existence (meaning it could be minted if they wanted to) called the mill (equivalent to .001 cents), is this just an urban legend or is there a president/scene combination for this coin floating around somewhere I can see? Also, I never knew there were fractional notes. I want a few now… _goes to eBay_ ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/13 "2008-07-12T14:53:17Z")
The Coinage Act of 1792 states that a mille is 1/1000th of a dollar, but as far as I can tell doesn’t authorize minting a coin in that amount, though I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/14 "2008-07-12T18:41:39Z")
No Mill coin has ever been issued by the United States, but it is, technically, a US unit of currency, alongside the Cent, the Dime, the Dollar, and the Eagle. Some prices are quoted in mills; I specifically remember the IBM 3800 mainframe laser printer (which printed several pages per second) in the 70s, which included a surcharge per linear foot of paper printed in its monthly rental, which surcharge was quoted in mills. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/15 "2008-07-12T21:16:21Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Chase and his daughter, the ill-fated [Kate Chase Sprague](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Chase), were both major characters in Gore Vidal’s _Lincoln_… [/QUOTE] The Chases, ambitious father and even more ambitious daughter, are also prominently featured in Doris Kearns Goodwin’s excellent recent nonfiction book on Lincoln’s Cabinet, _Team of Rivals_. Wiki on big U.S. bills: [Large denominations of United States currency - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_denominations_of_United_States_currency) ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extra-info-on-whose-face-is-on-the-1-000-bill/455015/16 "2008-07-16T14:09:28Z")
[QUOTE=Jragon] On the other end of the spectrum, I heard there is a, fairly useless, as of yet unminted coin that is nonetheless officially in existence (meaning it could be minted if they wanted to) called the mill (equivalent to .001 cents), is this just an urban legend or is there a president/scene combination for this coin floating around somewhere I can see? [/QUOTE] The mill is an example of “money of account” used only in calculating and recording accounts (seen these days in the US/Canada almost exclusively in setting tax rates and gas prices), as distinct from “money of exchange” which is actual coins/bills minted/printed for use in the physical exchange of payments. Some countries (e.g. New Zealand) have stopped minting the 1 cent coin (or local equivalents) but still use the cent as a money of account, with final calculated prices unchanged for non-cash (cheque/credit card/debit card) purchases but rounded up or down to the nearest actual coin for cash purchases.