# Living persons on currency **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-persons-on-currency/433231 "2008-01-12T02:27:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-persons-on-currency/433231/21 "2008-01-14T03:32:34Z")
Congress passed a law stating that a US President must be dead for five years before being enshrined on any US currency, and all Presidents before him must also be dead. So in order for Ronald Regan to get one of those Presidential coins that are being minted, Jimmy Carter must croak by 2016. However for Carter to get a coin, he needs to be dead by 2011. Bush Sr and Clinton’s coins would be issued in 2017 if they qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-persons-on-currency/433231/22 "2008-01-14T04:32:11Z")
Are you sure about that? I thought that the president had to be dead for only two years, and wasn’t aware that those before him needed to be dead. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-persons-on-currency/433231/23 "2008-01-14T07:37:46Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn] Are you sure about that? I thought that the president had to be dead for only two years, and wasn’t aware that those before him needed to be dead. [/QUOTE] Looks like you’re correct, **Dewey Finn**. I cautiously cite [this Wiki page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_%241_Coin_Act_of_2005) about the Presidential $1 coin program. > [@](#): > > Even though it would take about 11 years to honor all the presidents (George W. Bush is the 43rd President and the act allows for a coin for each of Grover Cleveland’s two non-consecutive terms), the series may not run that long. The act specifies that in order for a President to be honored, the former President must have been dead for at least two years prior to issue; the series will end when all the then-eligible Presidents have been honored. If a President does not meet the requirements at the time he would be honored with a coin, then he would be skipped. The next President who served after him meeting the requirements will then be honored. Once the program has terminated, continuation of the series for non-honored Presidents will require another Act of Congress. > > If Jimmy Carter lives until 2014, he will be skipped and Ronald Reagan will be the next honored. If all currently living Presidents survive to within two years of Reagan’s coin, then his coin will end the program. ---
**Author:** ![Mayo\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mayo\_Speaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayo_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-persons-on-currency/433231/24 "2008-01-14T07:50:56Z")
[QUOTE=KGS] Isn’t the astronaut on the back of the [Ohio State Quarter](http://www.statequarters.com/images/CoinDesigns/OH_big.jpg) supposed to represent John Glenn? [/QUOTE] I don’t think so. John Glenn flew in Mercury and much later on the space shuttle. Neither of his suits looks much like the one on the quarter. [John Glenn in Mercury suit](http://www.audiologyonline.com/management/uploads/interviews/john_glenn2.gif) [Glenn in shuttle suit.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/JohnGlenn.jpg/480px-JohnGlenn.jpg) However, the quarter looks a lot like [this iconic image](http://www.novaspace.com/AUTO/Moonwalk/ALDRIN/Buzzmoon.jpeg) of Buzz Aldrin that was taken by Neil Armstrong. And since Armstrong is also from Ohio, and a much bigger deal (imho) than John Glenn, it seems to me that it’s more likely him on the reverse of the quarter. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-persons-on-currency/433231/25 "2008-01-14T09:24:38Z")
[QUOTE=installLSC] How common is it for living people (outside of monarchs and dictators) to be on currency? [/QUOTE] Well, aren`t you a killjoy? 😉 Here the King is on every single bill denomination and on some bills, on both sides for good measure. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-persons-on-currency/433231/26 "2008-01-14T20:02:30Z")
[QUOTE=Mayo Speaks!] However, the quarter looks a lot like [this iconic image](http://www.novaspace.com/AUTO/Moonwalk/ALDRIN/Buzzmoon.jpeg) of Buzz Aldrin that was taken by Neil Armstrong. And since Armstrong is also from Ohio, and a much bigger deal (imho) than John Glenn, it seems to me that it’s more likely him on the reverse of the quarter. [/QUOTE] You’re right- it’s Buzz Aldrin, but it’s _not_ Buzz Aldrin. That is, it’s supposed to be Buzz Aldrin, but, like I said, you can’t see his face. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-persons-on-currency/433231.md?page=1)