Benjamin Franklin and the $100 Bill
Benjamin Franklin is one of several non presidents featured on U.S. paper currency. He has appeared on the $100 note since 1914, with the current design series introduced in 2013 featuring a large portrait, a blue security thread, and a 3D security ribbon U.S. Currency.
The Federal Reserve and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing produce Federal Reserve Notes that include portraits of non presidents such as Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and Salmon P. Chase Federal Reserve. These notes are legal tender for all debts, public and private, in the United States.
Other Non Presidents on U.S. Money
Alexander Hamilton appears on the $10 note, Salmon P. Chase on the $10,000 note, and Winfield Scott Hancock on the $2 bill U.S. Treasury. Francis E. Spinner, Spencer M. Clark, and others have also appeared on fractional currency and early notes.
Presidents vs. Non Presidents on U.S. Bills
Current circulating denominations include George Washington on the $1, Thomas Jefferson on the $2, Abraham Lincoln on the $5, Alexander Hamilton on the $10, Andrew Jackson on the $20, Ulysses S. Grant on the $50, and Benjamin Franklin on the $100 U.S. Currency. The $10,000 and higher denominations remain legal tender but are no longer printed.
U.S. Coins Featuring Non Presidents
U.S. coins include non presidential figures such as Sacagawea on the dollar coin, Susan B. Anthony on the dollar coin, and various Native American designs on the one-dollar coin U.S. Mint. Statesmen, inventors, and other notable Americans also appear on commemorative and bullion coins.
Why Non Presidents Appear on U.S. Money
The Treasury selects individuals based on contributions to American history, finance, and culture rather than strictly on the presidency. The Secretary of the Treasury, with input from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint, approves designs that reflect the nation's heritage U.S. Treasury.
Benjamin Franklin is featured for his role as a Founding Father, inventor, diplomat, and early advocate for a unified currency, while Hamilton is honored for establishing the financial system of the United States. The Federal Reserve uses these designs to authenticate notes and maintain public confidence in the currency.