Individual portraits of 53 people central to the history of the United States are depicted on the country's banknotesFriedberg including presidents, cabinet members, members of Congress, Founding Fathers, jurists, and military leaders. The Secretary of the Treasury was given broad latitude by Congress in 1862 to supervise the design, printing, and issue of banknotes. The Secretary, with input from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, has final approval over the design of banknotes.

The redesign of U.S. banknotes in 1922 prompted the Treasury Department to review the portraits on banknotes and conclude that "portraits of Presidents of the United States have a more permanent familiarity in the minds of the public than any others." Exceptions were made for Alexander Hamilton, Salmon Chase, and Benjamin Franklin. There have been no changes in the people depicted on currency intended for the general public since 1928; when Woodrow Wilson was depicted on the 1934 $100,000 gold certificate, the note was only for internal Treasury and Federal Reserve Bank use.

Six people have been depicted on U.S. currency during their lifetime, with each of those depictions occurring during the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln was portrayed on the 1861 $10 Demand Note; Salmon Chase, Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury, approved his own portrait for the 1862 $1 Legal Tender Note; Winfield Scott was depicted on Interest Bearing Notes during the early 1860s; William P. Fessenden (U.S. Senator and Secretary of the Treasury) appeared on fractional currency, as did Francis Spinner and Spencer Clark who both approved the use of their own image on fractional currency. In 1873, driven in large part by the actions of Spinner and Clark, Congress prohibited the use of portraits of living people on any U.S. bond, security, note, or fractional or postal currency."Laws of the United States Relating to Loans and the Currency Including the Coinage Acts". Treasury Department, p. 128.

Key to banknote type abbreviations Many of the 53 individuals were depicted on more than one note of a series or denomination. In the description of the banknotes, the date in parentheses indicates the individual's first appearance on a given note type and denomination. When multiple banknotes are listed, the order, though seeming random, is in accordance with the Friedberg Number,Friedberg in ascending Friedberg order. The engraved portraits are from a virtual exhibit of bank notes which are part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.

+ Key to banknote type abbreviations Abbr Note typeNote size DN Demand Note Large LT Legal Tender Large CITN Compound Interest Treasury Note Exception IBN Interest Bearing Note Exception RC Refunding Certificate Exception SC Silver Certificate Large TN Treasury Note Large NBN National Bank Note Large FRBN Federal Reserve Bank Note Large FRN Federal Reserve Note Large GC Gold Certificate Large SSN Small Size Banknote Small

People depicted Each of the 53 individuals depicted on U.S. banknotes (not including fractional currency) is listed alphabetically with their most commonly associated titles, positions held, or affiliations (with dates). Elected and appointed government positions are fairly comprehensive and positions are presented in ascending chronological order.

+ People on United States banknotes Name Born Died Portrait Title/comments U.S. Banknote(s) IADIAD (Initial Appearance Date) indicates each individual's earliest appearance on the scope of U.S. banknotes covered by this list.Adams John Quincy Adams 1767-07-1111 Jul 17671848-02-2323 Feb 1848 U.S. Minister to the Netherlands (1794–97), Prussia (1797–1801); State Senate (Massachusetts, 1802); U.S. Senate (Massachusetts, 1803–08); U.S. Minister to Russia (1809–14), Great Britain (1815–17); U.S. Secretary of State (1817–25); President of the United States (1825–29); U.S. House (Massachusetts, 1831–48).Sobel, p. 6.LT $500 (1869)1869Benton Thomas Hart Benton1782-03-1414 Mar 17821858-04-1010 Apr 1858 U.S. Senate (Missouri, 1821–51); U.S. House (Missouri, 1853–55).GC $100 (1870)1870Chase Salmon Portland Chase1808-01-1313 Jan 18081873-05-077 May 1873U.S. Senate (Ohio, 1849–55 & 1861); Governor (Ohio, 1856–60); U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1861–64); Chief Justice of the United States (1864–73).LT $1 (1862) CITN $10 (1863) IBN $10 (1864) IBN $1,000 (1861) FRN $10,000 (1918) SSN $10,000 (1928–34)1861ClarkWilliam Clark1770-08-011 Aug 17701838-09-011 Sep 1838Explorer Captain, U.S. Army (1789–96); Superintendent of Indian Affairs (1807–13 & 1822–38); Governor, Missouri Territory (1813–20).LT $10 (1901)1901ClayHenry Clay1777-04-1212 Apr 17771852-06-2929 Jun 1852State House (Kentucky, 1803); U.S. Senate (Kentucky, 1806–07 & 1810–11); Speaker of the House (1811–14, 1815–20, 1823–25); U.S. Secretary of State (1825–29); U.S. Senate (Kentucky, 1831–43 & 1849–52).Sobel, p. 71.LT $50 (1869)1869ClevelandGrover ClevelandSobel, p. 72. 1837-03-1818 Mar 18371908-06-2424 Jun 1908Governor (New York, 1883–85); President of the United States (1885–89, 1893–97).FRBN $20 (1915) FRN $20 (1914) SSN $1,000 (1928–34)1914ClintonDeWitt Clinton 1769-03-022 Mar 17691828-02-1111 Feb 1828State House (New York, 1797–98); State Senate, (New York, 1798–1802 & 1805–11); U.S. Senate (New York, 1802–03); Mayor, New York City (1803–07, 1808-1810 & 1811–15); Lieutenant Governor (New York, 1811–13); Candidate for President (1812); Governor (New York, 1817–23, 1825–28).LT $1,000 (1869)1869DecaturStephen Decatur1779-01-055 Jan 17791820-03-2222 Mar 1820Commodore, U.S. Navy; Quasi-War, First Barbary War; Awarded Congressional Gold Medal (1813).SC $20 (1878)1878Everett Edward Everett1794-04-1111 Apr 17941865-01-1515 Jan 1865U.S. House (Massachusetts, 1825–35); Governor (Massachusetts, 1836–40); U.S. Minister to Great Britain (1841–45); U.S. Secretary of State (1852–53); U.S. Senate (Massachusetts, 1853–54).SC $50 (1878)1878Farragut David Glasgow FarragutEicher, John H. & David J., p. 229.1801-07-055 Jul 18011870-08-1414 Aug 1870Admiral, Commander-in-Chief (1861–70),Eicher, John H. & David J., p. 230. U.S. Navy (1810–1868); War of 1812, West Indies, American Civil War; Received Thanks of Congress (1862 & 1866).TN $100 (1890)1890Fessenden William Pitt Fessenden1806-10-1616 Oct 18061869-09-088 Sep 1869State House (Maine, 1832, 1840, 1845–46, 1853–54); U.S. House (Maine, 1841–43); U.S. Senate (Maine, 1854–64); U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1864–65).Sobel, p. 124.NBN $20 (1882, reverse)1882Although the $20 1882 Date Back and Value Back National Bank Notes carry a series date of 1882, they were not issued/released until the late 1880s to early 1890s.Franklin Benjamin Franklin1706-01-1717 Jan 17061790-04-1717 Apr 1790Founder; Delegate, Pennsylvania, Continental Congress; U.S. Postmaster General (1775, Inaugural Holder); Signer, Declaration of Independence (1776); U.S. Minister to France (1778–85), Sweden (1782–83); President of Pennsylvania and Delegate to the Constitutional convention (1785–88); Delegate, Pennsylvania, U.S. Constitutional Convention (1787).LT $50 (1874) RC $10 (1879) FRN $100 (1914) SSN $100 (1928–present)1874Fulton Robert Fulton1765-11-1414 Nov 17651815-02-2424 Feb 1815Engineer; InventorSC $2 (1896, reverse)1896Gallatin Albert Gallatin1761-01-2929 Jan 17611849-08-1212 Aug 1849State House (Pennsylvania, 1790–92); U.S. Senate (Pennsylvania, 1793–94); U.S. House (Pennsylvania, 1795–1801); U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1801–14); U.S. Minister to France (1815–23), Great Britain (1826–27).Sobel, p. 139.LT $500 (1862)1862Garfield James Abram Garfield 1831-11-1919 Nov 18311881-09-1919 Sep 1881State Senate, (Ohio, 1859–61);Sobel, p. 140. Major General, U.S. Army, (1861–63);Eicher, John H. & David J., p. 247. U.S. House (Ohio, 1863–81); President of the United States (1881). Shot by Charles J. Guiteau on 2 July 1881.NBN $5 (1882) GC $20 (1882)1882Grant Ulysses S. GrantEicher, John H. & David J., p. 264.1822-04-2727 Apr 18221885-07-2323 Jul 1885Commanding General (1864–69), U.S. Army (1843–54, 1861–69 & 1877–85); U.S. Secretary of War, (Interim, 12 August 1867 – 12 January 1868);Sobel, p. 153. President of the United States (1869–77)Mexican–American War, American Civil War; Received Thanks of Congress (1863) and awarded The Congressional Gold Medal(1863).Eicher, John H. & David J., p. 265.SC $1 (1899) SC $5 (1886), (1896, reverse) FRBN $50 (1918) FRN $50 (1914) GC $50 (1913) SSN $50 (1928–present)1886Hamilton Alexander Hamilton 1757-01-1111 Jan 17571804-07-1212 Jul 1804Founder; Lieutenant Colonel, Continental Army (1775–); Continental Congress (1782–83); State House (New York, 1787); U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1789–1795); Major General, Senior Officer, U.S. Army (1799–1800).Heitman, p. 269.DN $5 (1861) LT $2 (1862) LT $5 (1862) LT $20 (1869) LT $50 (1862) CITN $50 (1863) IBN $50 (1864) IBN $500 (1864) FRN $1,000 (1918) GC $1,000 (1870) SSN $10 (1928–present)1861Hancock Winfield Scott HancockEicher, John H. & David J., p. 275.1824-02-1414 Feb 18241886-02-099 Feb 1886Major General (1866–1886), U.S. Army (1844–1886); Mexican–American War, American Civil War. Received Thanks of Congress (1866);Eicher, John H. & David J., p. 276. Candidate for President (1880).SC $2 (1886)1886Harrison Benjamin Harrison1833-08-2020 Aug 18331901-03-1313 Mar 1901Brigadier General, U.S. Army (1862–65);Eicher, John H. & David J., p. 281. U.S. Senate (Indiana, 1881–87); President of the United States (1889–93).NBN $5 (1902)1902Hendricks Thomas Andrews Hendricks1819-09-077 Sep 18191885-11-2525 Nov 1885State House (Indiana, 1848–49); U.S. House (Indiana, 1851–55); Assistant Treasurer of the United States (1853); U.S. Senate (Indiana, 1863–69); Governor (Indiana, 1873–77); Vice President of the United States (1885, Died in Office).Sobel, p. 172.SC $10 (1886)1886Hillegas Michael Hillegas1729-04-2222 Apr 17291804-09-2929 Sep 1804Provincial Assembly (Pennsylvania, 1765–75); Treasurer of the United States (1775–89, Inaugural Holder).GC $10 (1907)1907Jackson Andrew Jackson1767-03-1515 Mar 17671845-06-088 Jun 1845U.S. House (Tennessee, 1796–97); U.S. Senate (Tennessee, 1797–98); Judge, Tennessee Supreme Court (1798–1804); Major General, U.S. Army, Awarded Congressional Gold Medal(1815); Military Governor of Florida (10 March 1821 – 18 July 1821); U.S. Senate (Tennessee, 1823–25); President of the United States (1829–37). An assassination attempt (the first on a U.S. president) was made by Richard Lawrence on 30 January 1835 outside the Capitol building.LT $5 (1869) LT $10,000 (1878) IBN $50 [Two-Year] (1861) FRBN $10 (1915) FRN $10 (1914) GC $10,000 (1870) SSN $20 (1928–present)1861Jefferson Thomas Jefferson1743-04-1313 Apr 17431826-07-044 Jul 1826Founder; House of Burgesses (Virginia, 1769); Delegate, Virginia Continental Congress (1775–76 & 1783–84); Signer, Declaration of Independence (1776); Governor (Virginia, 1779–81); U.S. Minister to France (1785–1789); U.S. Secretary of State (1790–1793, Inaugural Holder ); Candidate for President (1796); Vice President of the United States (1797–1801); President of the United States (1801–1809).LT $2 (1869) FRBN $2 (1918) SSN $2 (1928–present)1869Knox John Jay Knox Jr.1828-03-1919 Mar 18281892-02-1212 Feb 1892Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury (1872–84).NBN $100 (1902)1902Lewis Meriwether Lewis1774-08-1818 Aug 17741809-10-1111 Oct 1809Explorer; Governor, Louisiana/Missouri Territory (1807–09).LT $10 (1901)1901Lincoln Abraham Lincoln1809-02-1212 Feb 18091865-04-1515 Apr 1865State House (Illinois, 1834–41); U.S. House (Illinois, 1847–49); President of the United States (1861–65).Sobel, p. 232. Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on 15 April 1865.DN $1 (1861) LT $10 (1862) LT $100 (1869) CITN $20 (1863) IBN $20 (1864) SC $1 (1899) SC $5 (1923) FRBN $5 (1915) FRN $5 (1914) GC $500 (1870)