While a law generally prohibits living people on U.S. currency, President Calvin Coolidge appeared on a commemorative half-dollar in 1926 for America's 150th anniversary, making him the only president to be on U.S. money while still alive, although he wasn't the first living person. Other individuals, like Salmon P. Chase and Spencer Clark, were also on currency before Coolidge, leading to a law enacted in 1866 forbidding living persons, a rule Coolidge's appearance technically skirted as it was a special commemorative.
Only one president graced currency while not only alive, but in office. This individual was President Calvin Coolidge, who, with George Washington, commemorated the 150th Anniversary of America's Independence in 1926.
A Living Person May Not Appear on U.S. Currency
That tradition became law with an 1866 Act of Congress.
Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States, has been on the $50 bill since it began circulation in 1913. The only other non-president to be featured on paper currency is Benjamin Franklin.
There's a reason we have a centuries-old law banning living presidents on U.S. currency: to avoid the appearance of a monarchy. Today Trump's nominee to lead the Mint assured me he won't violate this law for Trump's latest vanity project. We will hold him to it.
Most $2 bills are worth face value, but older ones (pre-1928) or those with errors (rare serial numbers, misprints, star notes) can be worth significantly more, from tens to thousands of dollars, depending on age, condition, and unique features like red/blue seals or star symbols, with older, crisp notes fetching the highest prices.
Who is on the $500 bill? The most widely recognized $500 bill features William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States. Earlier versions displayed historical figures such as John Quincy Adams and Chief Justice John Marshall.
The United States one-hundred-thousand-dollar bill (US$100,000) is a former denomination of United States currency issued from 1934 to 1935. The bill, which features President Woodrow Wilson, was created as a large denomination note for gold transactions between Federal Reserve Banks; it never circulated publicly.
A $1 bill could be worth up to $150,000 if it's part of a rare pair from the 2014-2016 printings that have matching serial numbers, specifically a "Series 2013" bill with a "B" Federal Reserve Seal and a star at the end of its serial number. The real value comes from pairing two of these misprinted bills, as millions were accidentally printed with duplicate numbers, and finding the matching set is the key to the high price.
The $100,000 Gold Certificate is illegal for private citizens to own because it was never meant for public circulation, used only for large, official transactions between Federal Reserve Banks, and its ownership restrictions stem from the 1933 Gold Reserve Act when the U.S. disconnected from the gold standard. While many were destroyed, a few remain held by the government for educational purposes, but private possession is prohibited, though you might see them in museums like the Smithsonian.
Yes, some $2 bills can be worth $4,500 or more, specifically uncirculated Treasury Notes from 1890 (with red or brown seals), which are the most famous examples, but other rare examples from the 1860s, 1928, 1995, or with significant errors (like star notes or low serial numbers) can also command high prices. The key factors are the bill's age, seal color, condition (uncirculated is best), low serial numbers, and printing errors.
For example, an Almost Uncirculated 1973 one-dollar note with the right serial number could be worth $250. You may want to store your bills in some sort of plastic sleeve or binder to prevent further damage that could affect their value.
Martha Washington is the first and only woman to grace the primary portrait of U.S. paper currency.
In 1873, driven in large part by the actions of Spinner and Clark, Congress prohibited the use of portraits of living people on any U.S. bond, security, note, or fractional or postal currency.
Most 1976 $2 bills are only worth face value ($2), but some can be worth significantly more if they have special features like star notes (replacement bills), low serial numbers (e.g., "1"), or printing errors (misalignments, overprints), potentially ranging from tens to thousands of dollars, especially in uncirculated condition. Check the serial number and look for any imperfections, as these details determine collector value.
The rarest and most valuable $1 bills are often unique error notes or old, high-grade examples like the 1874 $1 United States Note, which sold for over $26,000, or a 1928D $1 Star Note, fetching nearly $100,000 due to extreme scarcity, with value determined by condition, age, and unique features like misalignments or special serial numbers (low, radar, ladder).
25th President, 1897-1901
Quick — which President is on the $500 bill? William McKinley, obviously. (And yes, they did make $500 bills for a while.) McKinley was a savvy politician who listened carefully to the public.