# Why not take all the Presidents off US currency? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149 "2004-06-13T18:02:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/1 "2004-06-13T18:02:04Z")
Has the idea of not having Presidential portraits on US currency ever been seriously considered? Why not just use national symbols such as the Statue of Liberty, White House, or the Liberty Bell? This would reduce the debate about Regan, Jackson, Hamilton, Sacagawea, and Grant being on US currency. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/2 "2004-06-13T18:10:21Z")
Well, they put those type things on the back of the bills already. The White House is on the back of the $20, for example. It’s common just about everywhere to put important people on the front of currency. That tradition goes at least all the way back to the ancient Romans. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Audience](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@The\_Audience](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Audience)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/3 "2004-06-13T18:11:14Z")
I agree. They would be so much more interesting with other symbols of the country than with bland profile busts of presidents. The only problem is its tradition. Coins have always had the liking of the leaders of the country from where thay are from. At least they now have images of different states instead of the boring olive branches, torches and whatnot. Didn’t the quarter used to have the face of The Statue of Liberty? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/4 "2004-06-13T18:13:16Z")
I think they should put pictures of imaginary bridges on the currency. Then no one can object to anything. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/5 "2004-06-13T18:52:04Z")
Frankly, I think they should put ME on US currency. [This picture](http://jmspoofe.tripod.com/randomstuff/charbay.txt), perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/6 "2004-06-13T19:54:46Z")
I saw a documentary on counterfeitting a few years back. They included a study on what parts of the bill could be changed, and how much, before people noticed. They found that they could mess around with numbers, text, and buildings extensively before most people noticed. But, minor changes in faces were noticed immediately. One of the researchers who conducted the study suggested that the portraits should be made larger. They filmed several other experts saying the same thing. The new bill designs that have been released over the past several years incorporate every suggestion I heard on that documentary. Faces make counterfeiting more dificult and are easy to remember. ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/7 "2004-06-13T22:33:27Z")
You know, we do already have 3 U.S. bills that don’t have presidents on them. (Name all three for 10 points.) ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/8 "2004-06-13T22:36:12Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > Frankly, I think they should put ME on US currency. [This picture](http://jmspoofe.tripod.com/randomstuff/charbay.txt), perhaps. Rename that pic to charbay.jpg They should put the Vodka bottle somewhere on the currency too. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/9 "2004-06-13T23:00:24Z")
> [@Pablito](#): > > You know, we do already have 3 U.S. bills that don’t have presidents on them. > > (Name all three for 10 points.) Hmmm…Hamilton, Franklin, and Chase? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/10 "2004-06-13T23:03:48Z")
They haven’t made the Chase one in quite some time, though. You know who I think deserves a bill? Martin Luther King. ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/11 "2004-06-14T01:22:18Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Hmmm…Hamilton, Franklin, and Chase? Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. And doesn’t everyone get a $10,000.00 Salmon Chase bill whenever you go to the ATM? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/12 "2004-06-14T01:29:16Z")
Bills over $100 were taken out of circulation in 1934. ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/13 "2004-06-14T01:44:09Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > Bills over $100 were taken out of circulation in 1934. but they’re still quite negotiable, in fact, they’re worth more than their face value. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/14 "2004-06-14T03:41:33Z")
But, at least before the Euro came in, it was great going to Europe and looking at your money because there were cool, deserving people on it! (Well, when you recognized them there were.) Educators and musicians and artists and things. Not all politicians and such. Why can’t we have, say, Whistler, Gershwin, Martin Luther King, and Margaret Sanger on our money? ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/15 "2004-06-14T03:54:38Z")
Hmm…why not put ALL the presidents on our currency? (all the Fortune 500 CEOs too, for vanity purposes.) Where is it written in our most sacred Constitution that there can only be one president pictured per banknote?! ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/16 "2004-06-14T04:13:59Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > They haven’t made the Chase one in quite some time, though. > > You know who I think deserves a bill? Martin Luther King. You know, I think Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a bill more than his father. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/17 "2004-06-14T04:41:28Z")
Another vote for Martin Luther King, Jr.! I think Mark Twain would be a good choice for a bill as well. Also, Walt Whitman. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/18 "2004-06-14T04:59:26Z")
> [@ataraxy22](#): > > all the Fortune 500 CEOs too, for vanity purposes AACK!! Enron bucks! Starbucks dough! CitiGreen! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/19 "2004-06-14T05:03:53Z")
The British have Charles Darwin on one of their bills. I cannot fully articulate how jealous that makes me. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2004, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149/20 "2004-06-14T07:08:57Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Has the idea of not having Presidential portraits on US currency ever been seriously considered? Why not just use national symbols such as the Statue of Liberty, White House, or the Liberty Bell? > > This would reduce the debate about Regan, Jackson, Hamilton, Sacagawea, and Grant being on US currency. I often forget that Sacagawea was one of our more effective Presidents… 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-take-all-the-presidents-off-us-currency/250149.md?page=2)