Your response was very informative. However, I noticed that while you listed even larger denominations (and their accompanying faces) you neglected the $100,000 bill, which shows the face of Woodrow Wilson.
I only knew this off-hand because as a youngster I took a tour of the Denver Mint, where they have one of the few surviving $100,000 bills. And I took a picture of it, because when I was a kid a had a burgeoning coin collection and thought that bill was just the coolest thing ever.
Right now I’m in the process of moving, but once I get everything situated I will scan and send my own personal photo of the bill, but until then, search Wikipedia for “$100000 bill” and you will be pointed here: http://www.currencygallery.org/denoms/100000dollar.htm
Their pic is much better than mine. Great site, keep it up.
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, celine, we’re glad to have you with us.
When you start a thread, it’s helpful to other readers if you provide a link to the Staff Report you’re commenting on. Saves searching time and cuts down on repetition. In this case: Whose face is on the $1,000 bill?
No biggie, you’ll know for next time. And, as I say, welcome!
Two further notes:[ol][]“Ornate denomination” means fancy engraving saying[ul][]“THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 500 / FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS”[]“The United States of America / ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS”[]“THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 5000 / FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS”[]“THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS”[]“THE / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 100,000 / ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND / DOLLARS”[/ul] instead of having pictures such as are shown on the more familiar notes.Salmon P. Chase was not merely a justice, but Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court from 1864 to 1873. But his position on the 10,000-dollar bill is due to his earlier position as Secretary of the Treasury 1861-1864, during which, due to the pressing needs of the Civil War, he almost single-handedly invented US paper money. Chase Manhattan Bank was named in his honor, though he was not connected with it.[/ol]
Currencygallery.org is disappointing in that the pictures are all so small—unless I’m not seeing how to enlarge them. Dawn Banks’ now defunct online currency collection used to let you blow up the bills so that you could actually read all the writing on them.
I don’t suppose that the 1934 series of $100,000 bills has ever diminished, especially since they never circulated at large. Aren’t they still all in existence, and being held by the Federal Reserve Banks against the Treasury’s gold stock?
:o