Currency-Worthy Presidents

The other day, a friend of mine and myself were discussing presidents that were worthy of appearing on currency; in both paper and coin form.

Before we can discuss adding in new guys, we must first cover the men (ok...Susan B. Anthony and Sacajawea were on dollar coins...but those suck!) that currently appear on our coins and dollars. For the sake of this discussion, I will only be covering currency that is currently in print. (Sorry...no half dollars or two dollar bills will enter this rant.)

The Penny: Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln is obviously currency-worthy. I mean, come on. He freed the slaves.

The Nickel: Thomas Jefferson

Pretty currency-worthy. He helped to acquire the Louisiana purchase and was one of our founding fathers (come on...he signed, not to mention wrote the declaration of independence!).

The Dime: Franklin D. Roosevelt

I don't think so. DID save our country from the great depression, but at the same time, he delayed going into WWII (he did not want to be ridiculed for fighting the "Jew's War"), allowed no Jewish refugees to enter this country, and overall, was pretty indifferent towards the Jewish people.

The Quarter: George Washington

Come on. Do I even need to explain my reasoning for this one?

The One-Dollar Bill: George Washington

(See above)

The Five-Dollar Bill: Abraham Lincoln

(See "Penny")

The Ten-Dollar Bill: Alexander Hamilton

Aah. NOT a president, but still very important. Helped fund our treasury in America's early years, without which we...would...have...no...money. So, I suppose it's fitting to endow a founding father who helped save the early American economy by immortalizing him in the ten-dollar bill.

The Twenty-Dollar Bill: Andrew Jackson

A very popular president. But not QUITE currency-worthy. He had his good points (was an important military asset during the war of 1812) but at the same time, he started some pretty brutal wars against the Seminole and Creek Indians. He was also responsible for the Indian Removal Act and, subsuquently, the Trail of Tears. That alone, in my opinion, makes him unworthy of currency.

The Fifty-Dollar Bill: Ulysses S. Grant

An important general during the Civil war, but the bad outweights the good. He was exceedingly corrupt and cared more about ensuring the employment of his friends and family rather than choosing men (come on. Who appointed women to government positions in 1869?) who were truly qualified for the job. Definitely not worthy of currency.

The Hundred-Dollar Bill: Benjamin Franklin

Inventor, statesman, founding father. Helped garner support for the revolution in Philadelphia and Boston. Pretty important, I would say. A bit loose with women...he started to show signs of syphilis in later years, but a good man nonetheless; without whom the founding of this country would have been a lot more difficult.

Ok. So, I have concluded that of these people, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, and Ulysses S. Grant are not worthy of immortalization through currency. The question is: with whom do we replace them?

Let's see. There are vacancies in the dime, 20-dollar-bill, and 50-dollar-bill. Three slots. There are many men and women who deserve to have their place in American currency. I have narrowed it down to three candidates.

The Dime: Have a ten-year promotional series of dimes that showcase important women in the United States government. Like the quarters, each dime will be minted for two weeks. At the end of the ten years, there will be an "election" to determine which of the women featured is most worthy of a permanant place in the American economy (this way, Sacajawea and Susan B. Anthony can have a chance to redeem themselves).

The 20-Dollar Bill: I say we pay homage to a military man. One who defended our country with zest and zeal and did not tarnish his repuation (such as Ulysses S. Grant) in later years. I say it be a WWII man. Perhaps MacArthur, Patton, or Bradley. Either one would be a fine face for the 20-dollar bill.

The 50-Dollar Bill: I have a radical idea. Since the 50-Dollar Bill is not commonly used, the current president in office could temporarily become a part of of our currency system. During each minting series, the standing president would be a part of the 50-Dollar Bill. This would be great for collectors and could change the money-collecting market. Let's say a president only serves for 8 weeks and dies or is assasinated. Very few bills with his (or her) likeness would be printed and their value would skyrocket.

Anyway...I've been writing for a while now. I must get back to work. Adios.