Much has been in the news recently over the push to replace Andrew Jackson as the featured subject on the $20 bill. It seems popular opinion of "Old Hickory" has faded in recent years and the new movement hopes to replace Jackson with an important female from American history. After a round of voting, including over 250,000 ballots, the Women on 20s organization has narrowed their campaign to four candidates; Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Wilma Mankiller and Rosa Parks.
While there is no official government move to replace Jackson, the Women on 20s group hopes to have a woman featured on a piece of American paper money for the first time since Martha Washington was pictured on $1 Silver Certificates of 1886, 1891 and 1896. The organization hopes to attain that goal by the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote.
Jackson has been featured on all $20s since small size notes were introduced for the Series of 1928. Before then he had been on large size $10 Federal Reserve Notes and Federal Reserve Bank Notes, $5 Legal Tender "Woodchopper" notes of the series of 1880 and 1907, Series of 1923 $10 Legal Tender Notes, the Series of 1878 $10,000 Legal Tender Note and the $10,000 Gold Certificates of 1882, 1888 and 1900.
So what do you think of the Women on 20s movement? Do you think Jackson should be replaced? Should the $20 bill now feature one of the women above? Or perhaps someone else? Email me at [email protected] with the subject "Women on $20s" and tell me what you think. We may follow this blog up with some of our reader’s opinions.
