# Harriet Tubman to Replace Andrew Jackson on $20 Bill **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 20, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739 "2016-04-20T16:59:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/81 "2016-04-21T03:27:55Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Where are you seeing that? I’ve pretty much only seen people saying nice things about her. > **[AcehGround](https://www.acehground.com)** > > AcehGround.com merupakan Portal Berita Aceh yang menyajikan Berita Terkini mulai dari Berita skala Daerah, Nasional hingga Internasional. ---
**Author:** ![opossum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2bfe46/32.png) [@opossum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/opossum)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/82 "2016-04-21T03:30:22Z")
National Review Online: [Do Not Weep for Andrew Jackson](http://www.nationalreview.com/corner) [/QUOTE] Harriet Beecher Stowe would have been nicely ironic, since she had a winter home in Jacksonville, FL after the Civil War. But I have no problem with Harriet Tubman, especially if she has a gun. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/83 "2016-04-21T03:33:30Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Tubman’s a great choice. But if Tubman’s on currency, we’ve got to put Dr. King on currency as well. Perhaps the $50? I don’t know that we _ **have** _ to. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not arguing against it. But the simple fact that Tubman makes it onto the currency does not create some sort of obligation to put King there as well. For me, one reason that Tubman is such a great choice is that she is, especially compared to King, relatively unknown and unheralded among a significant portion of the American population. I’d be perfectly happy if King was placed on the currency, but i also think that, if there is one single African American who has actually received something close to his due recognition in the mainstream of American culture, it’s Martin Luther King. If placing another black American on the currency were up to me, i’d consider someone who was important, but who is not as well known. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/84 "2016-04-21T03:45:43Z")
Maybe not totally relevant, but Dr. King’s portrait has indeed been on monetary instruments of the U.S. government. I’ve got a small stack of $100 Series I savings bonds featuring the good doctor’s portrait. (I don’t believe that savings bonds are issued in paper form any more; I think that they’re only available through electronic savings accounts. I dropped out of the program when that happened - I just figured I had purchased enough of them to suit my savings needs.) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/85 "2016-04-21T03:50:32Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I’d be perfectly happy if King was placed on the currency, but i also think that, if there is one single African American who has actually received something close to his due recognition in the mainstream of American culture, it’s Martin Luther King. If placing another black American on the currency were up to me, i’d consider someone who was important, but who is not as well known. How about Eddie Murphy? He’s already on [one country’s money](http://redtoy.com/J/ne6252.jpg). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/86 "2016-04-21T06:16:19Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > The $2 bill wasn’t last issued in 2003. $2 bills are still being printed today. Well not today, but every few yeats, and certainly since 2003 (2013 at least but I didn’t Google that hard). > [@Senegoid](#): > > The sample proposed bills I’ve seen pictured on-line show Harriet Tubman’s portrait with just the name Tubman. Maybe a lot of Americans won’t even know who that is. Why not put first and last names on all our bills? We covered her in school, though admittedly I didn’t retain the specifics. The people who have no clue who she is probably think that Franklin was one of the greatest presidents. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/87 "2016-04-21T06:25:09Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > The people who have no clue who she is probably think that Franklin was one of the greatest presidents. Duh - pretty sure inventing electricity makes him #1 president all-time! ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/88 "2016-04-21T06:36:49Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Tubman’s a great choice. But if Tubman’s on currency, we’ve got to put Dr. King on currency as well. Perhaps the $50? King already has a federal holiday. How many people have that? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/89 "2016-04-21T07:25:43Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Duh - pretty sure inventing electricity makes him #1 president all-time! Common misconception. He stole electricity from the Kaiser Victor Frankenstein, but added bald eagles and biceps to make it better. But then they made up and teamed up to fight Hedy, I mean Hedley Lamarr. Then they saved the blind and deaf Anne Frank from the attic. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/90 "2016-04-21T12:51:16Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > I like that the reverse of the $10 bill is changing. The Treasury Building is nice and all, and it’s a National Historic Landmark, but…yawn. It’s not exactly an icon of the country. I guess it’s educational, in that nobody outside of Washington would know what it looked like if it wasn’t on the $10. Besides, the pre-1990s version, with the old Ford on the street in front of the building, was more visually interesting. The current head-on view is really weak. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/91 "2016-04-21T14:19:09Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > King already has a federal holiday. How many people have that? Actually, he will be on a bill, he’ll be on the backs. I think he gets to be on with Eleanor Roosevelt and someone else I can’t remember. The suffragists get the back of the $10. They might like being that close to the handsomest guy on our money. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/92 "2016-04-21T14:23:39Z")
Here is the Treasury link - and now I don’t mind Tubman… [https://modernmoney.treasury.gov/](https://modernmoney.treasury.gov/) Oh, and Jackson stays on the $20 - but on the back and in front of the White House. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/93 "2016-04-28T20:32:53Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Oh, and Jackson stays on the $20 - but on the back and in front of the White House. Will there be crowds of people filling the White House lawn and crawling through the windows? 😃 [Jackson’s Inauguration](http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/jacksoninauguration.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/94 "2016-04-28T21:41:14Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > If I had to guess, I’d say that $20 bills are the most ubiquitous paper currency in the US after $1 bills due to the fact that they are dispensed in every ATM I’ve ever seen. Well, according to[this table](https://www.federalreserve.gov/paymentsystems/coin_currcircvolume.htm), there are more $100 bills in circulation than $20 dollar bills. Looking at the last twenty years, the number of hundreds has definately grown. At this rate the number of 100s will surpass the number of singles! I don’t know about you folks, but I’ve definitely noticed this trend in my wallet… Actually, not so much. I have heard that most of those 100’s are going out of the country. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/95 "2016-04-29T08:56:43Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Well, according to[this table](https://www.federalreserve.gov/paymentsystems/coin_currcircvolume.htm), there are more $100 bills in circulation than $20 dollar bills. Looking at the last twenty years, the number of hundreds has definately grown. At this rate the number of 100s will surpass the number of singles! > > I don’t know about you folks, but I’ve definitely noticed this trend in my wallet… > > Actually, not so much. I have heard that most of those 100’s are going out of the country. I read elsewhere that, while there are more $100s in circulation, more $20s are printed, as they are used more often and wear out faster. And a lot of $100s are overseas, where they aren’t taken out of circulation and replaced. They said that $1 were #1 in both categories. Right now, I’m not having much luck Googling, so I don’t know if this is true. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/96 "2016-04-29T15:41:15Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I read elsewhere that, while there are more $100s in circulation, more $20s are printed, as they are used more often and wear out faster. And a lot of $100s are overseas, where they aren’t taken out of circulation and replaced. > > They said that $1 were #1 in both categories. > > Right now, I’m not having much luck Googling, so I don’t know if this is true. On the page **Hermitian** linked to, there is a link above the table that says “Currency Print Order.” It seems to confirm what you read elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/97 "2017-09-10T17:50:45Z")
I’ve been hearing reports that Treasury Secretary Mnuchin hopes to keep Jackson on the 20 and relegate Tubman to the $2 bill. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/98 "2017-09-10T18:08:55Z")
Several reports that Mnuchin does not support the switch to Tubman on the $20. [NY Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/politics/mnuchin-harriet-tubman-jackson-money.html?mcubz=3) reports Trump has previously (April 2016) mentioned a possible move to the $2. And WaPo quotes Mnuchin as citing security concerns as being a more pressing priority when determining any redesign. > [@Mnuchin](#): > > …the issues of why we change it will be primarily related to what we need to do for security purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/99 "2017-09-10T18:12:27Z")
[Trump Administration Announces New $20 Bill Design Honoring Harriet Tubman’s Owners](http://www.theonion.com/article/trump-administration-announces-new-20-bill-design--56829) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739/100 "2017-09-10T19:29:47Z")
How surprising. “Security”, that’s the ticket. Mnuchin then drove away in his car accompanied by his wife, Morgan Fairchild. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubman-to-replace-andrew-jackson-on-20-bill/752739.md?page=6)