# Who decides who's image goes on US currency **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 2017, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173 "2017-12-11T05:02:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/1 "2017-12-11T05:02:38Z")
I was just watching Total Recall and they had a quick shot of a stack of bills and Obama’s likeness was on some of them. I bet he’ll make it one day. Anyway, it made me wonder what the process is. Could it be over-ridden? More interestingly could for example Trump demand that he be put on the $100 dollar bill? Thanks ---
**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:** [December 11, 2017, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/2 "2017-12-11T05:08:38Z")
You have to be dead to have your portrait on any [government securities](https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Currency/Pages/edu_faq_currency_portraits.aspx). ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/3 "2017-12-11T07:15:04Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > You have to be dead to have your portrait on any [government securities](https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Currency/Pages/edu_faq_currency_portraits.aspx). Congress has the power to create exceptions (and has numerous times in the case of coinage) so I’m assuming they can also create an exception for bills. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/4 "2017-12-11T11:16:48Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > I was just watching Total Recall and they had a quick shot of a stack of bills and Obama’s likeness was on some of them. I bet he’ll make it one day. Total Recall came out in 1990 when Obama was in law school. Why would his picture be on bills in the movie? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/5 "2017-12-11T11:20:33Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Total Recall came out in 1990 when Obama was in law school. Why would his picture be on bills in the movie? Well, they were showing _the future_. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/6 "2017-12-11T11:59:39Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Total Recall came out in 1990 when Obama was in law school. Why would his picture be on bills in the movie? How soon we [forget](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386703/). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/7 "2017-12-11T12:25:00Z")
I didn’t even know there was a remake. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/8 "2017-12-11T13:42:00Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I didn’t even know there was a remake. Actually, you did. You just forgot. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/9 "2017-12-11T14:00:01Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > How soon we [forget](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386703/). If Arnie’s not in it, it’s not Total Recall. It’s jsut some movie. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/10 "2017-12-11T15:32:38Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Actually, you did. You just forgot. Brilliant. Well played. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/11 "2017-12-11T16:41:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Congress has the power to create exceptions (and has numerous times in the case of coinage) so I’m assuming they can also create an exception for bills. They certainly can, because the rule against living people on money derives from a law passed by Congress in the first place, and so they could just repeal that law if they wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/12 "2017-12-11T18:31:39Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > I was just watching Total Recall and they had a quick shot of a stack of bills and Obama’s likeness was on some of them. I bet he’ll make it one day. Anyway, it made me wonder what the process is. Could it be over-ridden? More interestingly could for example Trump demand that he be put on the $100 dollar bill? > > Thanks Since no one seems to be bothering to answer your question, I’ll point out that it’s the Secretary of the Treasury although, as noted above, it cannot under current law be a living person. See under “Portraits” on this page: [Home | Engraving & Printing](https://moneyfactory.gov/resources/faqs.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/13 "2017-12-11T18:34:55Z")
Just want to remind everyone that I called Obama on currency 9 years ago [http://boards.straightdope.com//sdmb/showthread.php?t=499190&highlight=obama](http://boards.straightdope.com//sdmb/showthread.php?t=499190&highlight=obama) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/14 "2017-12-11T18:59:18Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > If Arnie’s not in it, it’s not Total Recall. It’s jsut some movie. 🆒 Like _The Terminator_ with Sylvester Stallone. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/15 "2017-12-11T20:29:50Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Actually, you did. You just forgot. There never was a second movie. [A single bead of sweat slides slowly down my forehead] ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/16 "2017-12-11T22:36:54Z")
Getting back to the OP, now that we’ve had our little movie critique session, I believe that there is a law requiring that George be on the 1 dollar bill? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/17 "2017-12-11T23:26:29Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Getting back to the OP, now that we’ve had our little movie critique session, I believe that there is a law requiring that George be on the 1 dollar bill? I think there is some law that allows the faces to be changed. I have some one dollar bills that do indeed have Obama’s face and name on them. I have another that has Yoda on it. I was told by the shopkeeper at the novelty store where I purchased them that they are legal tender. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/18 "2017-12-12T01:56:29Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > I think there is some law that allows the faces to be changed. I have some one dollar bills that do indeed have Obama’s face and name on them. I have another that has Yoda on it. I was told by the shopkeeper at the novelty store where I purchased them that they are legal tender. Probably, those are actual $1 bills, with a printed picture of Obama or Yoda pasted over the actual one of George Washington. That’s probably at least semi-legal. There are laws against defacing currency, but courts have held that stamping ‘political’ slogans on bills is permissible. Also, the Treasury Department (Secret Service) is not concerned about ‘novelty’ creations like that. They worry about counterfeiters pasting a $20 over the $1 in the corners of the bill, or other things to counterfeit the value of the bill. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/19 "2017-12-12T05:17:34Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Probably, those are actual $1 bills, with a printed picture of Obama or Yoda pasted over the actual one of George Washington. > > That’s probably at least semi-legal. > There are laws against defacing currency, but courts have held that stamping ‘political’ slogans on bills is permissible. Also, the Treasury Department (Secret Service) is not concerned about ‘novelty’ creations like that. They “discouraged” the Where’s George people from selling the stamps to put the Where’sGeorge message on bills. I’ve heard of other instances where they frowned on similar modifications. None were political, though. So if those are indeed just a paste over George’s picture, I would expect the Secret Service to put the hammer down on them too. They probably hadn’t caught up to whoever was doing it at the time the person above saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_M.Washington](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_m.washington/32/152_2.png) [@Gary\_M.Washington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_M.Washington)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-decides-whos-image-goes-on-us-currency/804173/20 "2017-12-12T18:48:42Z")
I think congress have the rights to change the face on the currency.🙂