The face gracing the United States $20 bill is that of Andrew Jackson, the nation’s seventh president. His portrait has occupied the center of the denomination’s obverse side since 1928, replacing Grover Cleveland during a major redesign of U.S. Now, currency. While Jackson’s presence on the bill is a long-standing tradition, it represents a complex legacy that continues to spark debate regarding his policies, particularly concerning Native American displacement and his opposition to central banking. Understanding who is on the currency—and why—offers a window into how the nation chooses to remember its history.
The History of the $20 Bill Before Andrew Jackson
Before Andrew Jackson became the permanent fixture on the twenty, the denomination underwent several transformations featuring different historical figures. The evolution of the note reflects the shifting priorities of a young nation establishing its financial identity Which is the point..
- 1861 Demand Notes: The very first $20 notes issued by the federal government featured a portrait of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, on the left and an allegorical figure of Liberty on the right.
- 1862 Legal Tender Notes: The design shifted to feature Liberty prominently, moving away from specific political portraits for a time.
- 1869 United States Notes: Alexander Hamilton returned to the $20 bill, this time accompanied by a vignette of "America" (an allegorical female figure).
- 1875–1880 Series: The portrait changed again, this time to Stephen Decatur, the famed naval hero of the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.
- 1882–1913 Series (Gold Certificates & Treasury Notes): These notes featured James Garfield, the 20th president, who was assassinated in 1881. His image appeared on the 1882 Gold Certificate and the 1890 Treasury Note (often called the "Watermelon Note" due to the large zeros on the reverse).
- 1914 Federal Reserve Notes: The first Federal Reserve Note series featured Grover Cleveland, the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms (22nd and 24th). He remained on the denomination until the Series of 1928.
Why Andrew Jackson Was Chosen for the 1928 Redesign
The decision to place Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill in 1928 was part of a broader standardization of U.S. currency sizes and designs. The Treasury Department sought to create a uniform set of portraits for each denomination to reduce confusion and counterfeiting Turns out it matters..
The selection committee chose presidents and statesmen deemed to have had a "permanent familiarity" in the minds of the public. Still, jackson, a war hero from the Battle of New Orleans and a populist figure who defined the "Jacksonian Era," fit the criteria of a dominant historical personality. Here's the thing — ironically, Jackson was a fierce opponent of paper money and the Second Bank of the United States, famously vetoing its recharter and insisting on "hard money" (gold and silver). Placing him on a Federal Reserve Note—a liability of the central banking system he despised—is often cited by historians as one of the great ironies of American numismatics Small thing, real impact. Practical, not theoretical..
Andrew Jackson: A Controversial Legacy on Currency
Andrew Jackson’s presidency (1829–1837) was transformative, expanding the power of the executive branch and promoting the idea of the "common man" in politics. On the flip side, his legacy is deeply stained by policies that caused immense suffering.
The Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears
The most significant blot on Jackson’s record is the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This legislation authorized the federal government to negotiate treaties forcing Native American tribes—primarily the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole nations—to relinquish their ancestral lands east of the Mississippi River and relocate to "Indian Territory" (present-day Oklahoma) Simple, but easy to overlook..
The forced relocation, known as the Trail of Tears, resulted in the deaths of thousands due to exposure, disease, and starvation. For many Native Americans and historians, Jackson’s presence on a widely circulated bill is a daily reminder of state-sanctioned ethnic cleansing That's the whole idea..
This is the bit that actually matters in practice.
Opposition to the Central Bank
Jackson’s "Bank War" against the Second Bank of the United States defined his second term. He viewed the bank as a tool of the wealthy elite that threatened democratic liberty. His veto of the bank's recharter and his subsequent removal of federal deposits led to the "Panic of 1837," a severe economic depression. Critics argue that honoring an anti-bank president on the currency of the modern Federal Reserve System is historically incongruous.
Slavery and Plantation Economy
Jackson was a wealthy plantation owner who enslaved hundreds of men, women, and children at his Hermitage plantation in Tennessee. He was a staunch defender of the institution of slavery and opposed abolitionist movements, even supporting the suppression of anti-slavery literature in the mail.
The Movement to Replace Jackson: Harriet Tubman and the $20 Bill
In recent years, a significant public campaign has advocated for removing Andrew Jackson from the $20 bill and replacing him with Harriet Tubman, the iconic abolitionist and conductor of the Underground Railroad It's one of those things that adds up. Practical, not theoretical..
The 2016 Announcement
In April 2016, under the Obama administration, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced a sweeping redesign of the $5, $10, and $20 notes. The plan stated that Harriet Tubman would appear on the front of the new $20 bill, moving Jackson to the back (potentially alongside the White House or a vignette of the Trail of Tears). The release was initially targeted for 2020, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.
Delays and Renewed Efforts
The timeline slipped significantly. The Trump administration delayed the redesign, citing technical reasons regarding counterfeiting prevention and security features, though critics suspected political motivation. In January 2021, the Biden administration confirmed it was "exploring ways to speed up" the effort. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterated the commitment to featuring Tubman, stating that the redesign process is complex and time-consuming due to the rigorous security requirements of modern currency The details matter here..
As of the current date, no official release date has been finalized for the Tubman $20 bill. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing continues to work on the design, but the current Series 2017A notes featuring Andrew Jackson remain in active circulation and will continue to be legal tender regardless of future design changes.
Security Features of the Current $20 Bill
Regardless of the portrait, the current Federal Reserve Note (Series 2013, 2017, 2017A) incorporates advanced security features designed to deter counterfeiting. Knowing these features is essential for anyone handling cash.
- Security Thread: A vertical thread embedded in the paper to the left of the portrait. It is imprinted with the text "USA TWENTY" and a small flag. It glows green under ultraviolet (UV) light.
- Color-Shifting Ink: The numeral 20 in the lower right corner on the front of the bill shifts color from copper to green when tilted.
- Portrait Watermark: Hold the bill to light to see a faint image of Andrew Jackson in the blank space to the right of the portrait. It is visible from both sides.
- Microprinting: Look closely for tiny text. "USA20" appears along the border of the first three letters of the "TWENTY
…of the word “TWENTY.Now, ” Additional micro‑printed phrases include “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” along the inner edge of the ornate border and “USA20” repeated in the background of the numeral 20 on the reverse side. These minute inscriptions are only discernible with magnification and serve as a reliable deterrent to low‑resolution reproductions.
Beyond microprinting, the note incorporates several tactile and visual safeguards:
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Raised Printing: The portrait of Andrew Jackson, the vignette of the White House, and the large numeral 20 are printed with intaglio techniques that leave a slight ridge you can feel with your fingernail. This texture is difficult to replicate with standard office printers or inkjet devices.
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Fine Line Patterns: layered guilloche designs surround the portrait and extend across both faces of the bill. The precise, repeating lines create a moiré effect when scanned or photocopied, alerting handlers to a potential counterfeit.
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UV‑Responsive Elements: In addition to the green‑glowing security thread, the Federal Reserve seal and the serial numbers emit a faint yellow fluorescence under ultraviolet light, providing a quick authenticity check for businesses equipped with UV lamps And that's really what it comes down to..
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Serial Number Characteristics: Each bill bears two identical serial numbers printed in a distinctive font. The first letter corresponds to the Federal Reserve Bank that issued the note, while the second letter indicates the series year. The numbers are printed with a special ink that absorbs UV light, making them appear darker than the surrounding paper under a black light.
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Portrait and Vignette Details: The engraving of Andrew Jackson’s face includes subtle shading variations that produce a lifelike depth. When viewed at an angle, the fine lines of the collar and hair shift in contrast, a feature known as “optical variable ink” that further complicates counterfeiting attempts.
These layered protections see to it that, even as the nation debates whose likeness should grace the front of the $20 bill, the note itself remains a dependable medium of exchange.
The Path Forward for the Tubman $20
The transition from Andrew Jackson to Harriet Tubman involves more than a simple portrait swap; it necessitates a comprehensive redesign that satisfies the Treasury’s stringent anti‑counterfeiting standards while honoring Tubman’s legacy. Design teams at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing have been experimenting with several concepts:
Short version: it depends. Long version — keep reading.
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Front‑Facing Tubman Portrait: Early sketches depict Tubman in a three‑quarter view, her gaze directed slightly outward, surrounded by symbolic motifs such as a lantern and a stylized map of the Underground Railroad routes Took long enough..
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Reverse‑Side Narrative: Proposals for the back of the note include a vignette of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, New York, alongside a depiction of the Combahee River Raid, underscoring her multifaceted contributions as a scout, spy, and suffragist.
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Integrated Security Features: To maintain the note’s defenses, the new design will retain the existing security thread, color‑shifting numeral, and watermark locations, but adapt their placement to accommodate Tubman’s likeness. Here's one way to look at it: the watermark may shift to a faint outline of Tubman’s profile, visible when held to light, while the color‑shifting ink will continue to animate the numeral 20 in the lower right corner.
Public sentiment remains largely supportive of the change. That said, polls conducted by various civic organizations show a majority of Americans favor recognizing Tubman’s role in the fight for freedom and equality. All the same, the redesign process is inherently deliberate; each iteration must undergo rigorous testing for durability, readability under various lighting conditions, and resistance to emerging counterfeit technologies That's the part that actually makes a difference..
As of now, the Treasury has not announced a firm issuance date. The Bureau continues to refine the artwork, engage with focus groups, and validate the security elements through both laboratory trials and real‑world circulation trials. Until the new note enters circulation, the existing Series 2017A $20 bills featuring Andrew Jackson will remain legal tender, and their sophisticated safeguards will keep facilitating everyday transactions across the United States.
Conclusion
The effort to place Harriet Tubman on the $20
The effort to place Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill represents more than a cosmetic update to the nation’s currency; it is a tangible reckoning with the stories America chooses to tell about itself. So naturally, by elevating a formerly enslaved woman who risked everything to liberate others, the redesign shifts the national iconography from the architecture of power to the agency of resistance. Yet the project’s deliberate pace—dictated by the unglamorous imperatives of substrate durability, ink adhesion, and machine readability—serves as a reminder that symbols, to function in the real world, must be engineered with the same rigor applied to bridges or bank vaults Still holds up..
When the new note finally enters circulation, it will carry the weight of history in a polymer-and-cotton blend designed to withstand millions of folds, vending machine sensors, and the scrutiny of ultraviolet lights. The lantern motif on the front and the Combahee River scene on the reverse will not merely illustrate a biography; they will broadcast a narrative of collective action and strategic brilliance every time the bill changes hands. In this sense, the Tubman $20 becomes a circulating classroom, a daily prompt that the currency of democracy is not static but evolves to reflect a more honest accounting of the past Simple, but easy to overlook. Took long enough..
Until that day arrives, the current Jackson notes will continue to perform their function flawlessly, their security threads and color-shifting numerals indifferent to the portraits they protect. The transition, when it comes, will be seamless by design—a testament to a system built to endure not just counterfeiters, but the shifting tides of national conscience. The new $20 will not erase history; it will simply make sure the next chapter is printed with a different face, and a truer promise, in the nation’s pocket Simple, but easy to overlook..
