# large denomination U.S. bills **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-denomination-u-s-bills/202331 "2003-09-18T06:42:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mcbiggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@mcbiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcbiggins)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-denomination-u-s-bills/202331/1 "2003-09-18T06:42:37Z")
I saw this site about large denomination bills: [http://www.thememoryhole.org/econ/big-bills/](http://www.thememoryhole.org/econ/big-bills/) , but I’d like to know more. The images come from the Bureau of Ingraving and Printing, but the link is broken. Since the resolution isn’t high enough, I can’t make out who’s on each bill, except for Woodrow Wilson on the $100,000. Could somebody tell me who’s on the $500 (looks like two guys, or two very different portraits of one guy), the $1000 (two different guys for sure) the $5000 and the $10,000. Any biographical info on the more obscure (non-presidential) portraits subjects (is there a word for this?) would be appreciated. Also, the site mentions that it is illegal to own a $100,000 bill. Could someone explain it’s history, and if any private collector ever possessed such a bill. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-denomination-u-s-bills/202331/2 "2003-09-18T07:07:54Z")
$500: The first one has me stumped, but the second is President William McKinley $1,000: The first looks like Alexander Hamilton–first Secretary of the Treasury and now on the $10 bill–and the second is President Grover Cleaveland $5,000: President James Madison $10,000: Salmon P. Chase–Secretary of the Treasury under Lincoln and Andrew Johnson (IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-denomination-u-s-bills/202331/3 "2003-09-18T07:13:40Z")
[US Banknotes in circulation](http://www.moneyfactory.com/section.cfm/4) [Selection of Portraits and Designs Appearing on Paper Currency](http://www.moneyfactory.com/document.cfm/18/118): $1 Note (Face) - George Washington (1st U.S. President) (Back) - The Great Seal of the United States $2 Note (Face) - Thomas Jefferson (3rd U.S. President) (Back) - Signing of the Declaration of Independence $5 Note (Face) - Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President) (Back) - Lincoln Memorial $10 Note (Face) - Alexander Hamilton (1st Secretary of the Treasury) (Back) - U.S. Treasury Building $20 Note (Face) - Andrew Jackson (7th U.S. President) (Back) - White House $50 Note (Face) - Ulysses Grant (18th U.S. President) (Back) - U.S. Capitol $100 Note (Face) - Ben Franklin (Statesman) (Back) - Independence Hall $500 Note\* (Face) - William McKinley (25th U.S. President) (Back) - Numeral 500 and the ornamental phrase “Five Hundred Dollars” $1000 Note\* (Face) - Grover Cleveland (22rd & 24th U.S. President) (Back) - Numeral 1000 and the ornamental phrase “One Thousand Dollars” $5000 Note\* (Face) - James Madison (4th U.S. President) (Back) - Numeral 5000 and the ornamental phrase “Five Thousand Dollars” $10,000 Note\* (Face) - Salmon Chase (U.S. Treasury Secretary under Lincoln) (Back) - Numeral 10,000 and the ornamental phrase “Ten Thousand Dollars” $100,000 Note\* (Face) - Woodrow Wilson (28th U.S. President) (Back) - Numeral 100,000 and the ornamental phrase “One Hundred Thousand Dollars”. This note never appeared in general circulation, and was only used in transactions between Federal Reserve Banks. - = Notes no longer in print or circulation ---
**Author:** ![mcbiggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@mcbiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcbiggins)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-denomination-u-s-bills/202331/4 "2003-09-18T07:15:41Z")
Thank you Dr.! But why, out of all of the secreteries of the treasury, was Salmon P. Chase the one to get his face on a bill? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-denomination-u-s-bills/202331/5 "2003-09-18T07:20:05Z")
The picture on the $10,000 bill is of Salmon P. Chase, secretary of the treasury under Lincoln and creator of the national banking system. You can learn more about him [here](http://www.tulane.edu/~latner/Chase.html). The $500 green seal has William McKinley, 25th president of the U.S. I don’t know who is on the $500 blue seal. The $1,000 blue seal has Alexander Hamilton, first secretary of the treasury. The $1,000 green seal has Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th president of the U.S. (he is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms). The $5,000 bill has James Madison, 4th president of the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-denomination-u-s-bills/202331/6 "2003-09-19T18:22:32Z")
I found out who that is on the $500 bill, thanks to [this website](http://www.currencygallery.org/vignettes/vignettes.htm). They have a pretty comprehensive list of who’s been on currency (As a warning, the site appears to be under construction. All the links on that page work, though). It’s none other than [John Marshall](http://www.currencygallery.org/vignettes/marshall.htm), best known as Supreme Court Chief Justice, but he also served in the Revolutionary War (presumably the event shown on the back of the bill). **mcbiggins** , I found at least two other Secretaries of the Treasury on a search for the $500 man, Robert J. Walker ($0.25 fractional) and John Sherman ($50). Possibly the most unexpected figure on U.S. currency is Chief Running Antelope (of the Hunkpapa Sioux) on the $5 silver note - although it’s pointed out he’s wearing the wrong headdress on the note (they changed the portrait). ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-denomination-u-s-bills/202331/7 "2003-09-19T18:59:11Z")
Chase was also, IIRC, a justice of the Supreme Court. –Cliffy