The United States twenty-dollar bill is a denomination of U.S. currency. The
seventh U.S. President, Andrew Jackson has been featured on the front side of
the bill since 1928, which is why the twenty-dollar bill is often called a
"Jackson," while the White House is featured on the reverse side.
The twenty-dollar bill in the past was referred to as a "double-sawbuck"
because it is twice the value of a ten-dollar bill, which was nicknamed a
"sawbuck" due to the resemblance the Roman numeral for ten bears to the legs
of a sawbuck, although this usage had largely fallen out of favor by the
1980s. The twenty-dollar gold coin was known as a "double eagle". Rather than a
nickname, this nomenclature was specified by an act of Congress.
As of December 2012, the average circulation life of a $20 bill is 7.7
years before it is replaced due to wear. Approximately 11% of all notes printed
in 2009 were $20 bills. Twenty-dollar bills are delivered by Federal Reserve
Banks in violet straps. Pre-Federal Reserve history
1861: A demand note with Lady Liberty holding a sword and shield on the front,
and an abstract design on the back. The back is printed green.
1862: A note that is very similar, the first $20 United States note. The back
is different, with several small variations extant.
1863: A gold certificate $20 note with an Eagle vignette on the face. The
reverse has a $20 gold coin and various abstract elements. The back is orange.
1865: A national bank note with "The Battle of Lexington" and of "Pocahontas"
in black, and a green border. 1869: A new United States note design
with Alexander Hamilton on the left side of the front and Victory holding a
shield and sword. The back design is green.
1875: As above, except with a different reverse.
1878: A silver certificate $20 note with a portrait of Stephen Decatur on the
right side of the face. The back design is black.
1882: A new gold certificate with a portrait of James Garfield on the right
of the face. The back is orange and features an eagle.
1882: A new national bank note. The front is similar, but the back is
different and printed in brown. 1886: A new silver certificate $20 note
with Daniel Manning on the center of the face.
1890: A treasury note with John Marshall on the left of the face. Two different
backs exist: both with abstract designs. 1902: A new national bank note. The
front design features Hugh McCulloch, and the back has a vignette of an
allegorical America. 1905: A new gold certificate $20 note
with George Washington on the center of the face. The back design is orange.
Federal Reserve history Jackson first appeared on the $20 bill
in 1928. Although it coincides with the 100th anniversary of Jackson's election
as president, it is not clear the reason the bill was switched from Grover
Cleveland to Andrew Jackson. According to the U.S. Treasury, "Treasury
Department records do not reveal the reason that portraits of these
particular statesmen were chosen in preference to those of other persons of
equal importance and prominence." The placement of Jackson on the $20 bill
may be a historical irony; as president, he vehemently opposed both the National
Bank and paper money and made the goal of his administration the destruction of
the National Bank. In his farewell address to the nation, he cautioned the
public about paper money. 1914: Began as a large-sized note with a
portrait of Grover Cleveland on the face, and, on the back, a steam
locomotive and an automobile approaching from the left, and a steamship
approaching from the right. 1918: A federal reserve bank note with
Grover Cleveland on the front, and a back design similar to the 1914 Federal
Reserve Note. 1928: Switched to a small-sized note
with a portrait of Andrew Jackson on the face and the south view of the White
House on the reverse. The banknote is redeemable in gold or silver at any
Federal Reserve Bank. 1934: The obligation is changed. The
bill is no longer redeemable in gold, but rather in "lawful money". This is
due to the U.S. being taken off of the gold standard. "Lawful Money" in this
case means silver. 1942: A special emergency series, with
brown serial numbers and "HAWAII" overprinted on both the front and the
back, is issued. These notes are designed to circulate on the islands,
and be deemed invalid in the event of a Japanese invasion.
1948: The White House picture was updated to reflect renovations to the
building itself, including the addition of the Truman Balcony, as well as the
passage of time. Most notably, the trees are larger.
1950: Design elements like the serial numbers are reduced in size and moved
around subtly, presumably for aesthetic reasons.
1963: "Redeemable in Lawful Money" is replaced by "In God We Trust". The two
acts are coincidental, even if their combined result is implemented in one
redesign. Also, several design elements are rearranged, less perceptibly than
the change in 1950, mostly to make room for the slightly rearranged obligations.
1969: The new treasury seal appears on all denominations, including the $20.
1977: A new type of serial-number press results in a slightly different font.
The old presses are gradually retired, and old-style serial numbers appear as
late as 1981 for this denomination. 1992: Anti-counterfeiting features are
added: microprinting around the portrait, and a plastic strip embedded
in the paper. Even though the bills read Series 1990, the first bills were
printed in April 1992. September 24, 1998: Received a
completely new appearance to further deter counterfeiting; the picture of the
White House was changed to the north side view. A larger, off-center portrait
of Jackson was used on front, and several anti-counterfeiting features
were added, including color-shifting ink, microprinting, and a watermark. The
plastic strip now reads "USA 20" and glows green under a black light. The
bills were first printed in June 1998. October 9, 2003: The current series of
20 dollar bills is released with light background shading in green and yellow,
and no oval around Andrew Jackson's portrait; the back is the same view of
the White House, but without the oval around it. Ninety faint "20"s are
scattered on the back in yellow as a "EURion constellation" to prevent
photocopying. The first issue's series date is 2004 with Marin-Snow signatures.
The bills were first printed in April 2003.
Proposal for a woman's photo In a campaign called "Women on 20s",
selected voters were asked to choose 3 of 15 female candidates to have a photo
on the $20 bill. The goal was to have a woman on the $20 bill by 2020, the
centennial of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. As of
April 8, 2015, the four leading candidates were Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa
Parks, Harriet Tubman and Wilma Mankiller. On May 12, 2015, Tubman was
announced as the winning candidate. On June 17, 2015, Treasury Secretary Jack
Lew announced that a woman's portrait would instead be featured on a
redesigned ten dollar bill by 2020. The Department of Treasury is seeking the
public's input on who should appear on the new bill.
See also Twenty Bucks, a 1993 movie that follows
the travels of a $20 bill. References
External links Burning of notes when microwaved due to
presence of metal, not RFID