Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced today that a woman's portrait will replace Alexander Hamilton's on the $10 bill.
Jackie Calmes at the New York Times
The note will continue to have some image, also to be determined, of the current $10 honoree, Alexander Hamilton, a founding father (there were, of course, no mothers) and Treasury secretary to President George Washington (he of the $1 bill). Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew, who by law makes the selection of an honoree, will disclose his choice by the end of the year. The new note will appear in 2020 — the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
The only criterion under law is that the chosen person must be dead, but the Treasury said Mr. Lew was looking for a woman “who was a champion for our inclusive democracy.” That would include the abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who was the top choice on social media of a campaign to put a woman on the $20 bill.
This will be the first change on a note since Andrew Jackson replaced Grover Cleveland on the $20 bill in 1929.
For the latest change, the Treasury has invited the public to use the hashtag #TheNew10 “to spread the word about the redesign.” Also, Mr. Lew and other officials will solicit the public’s ideas in round-table discussions and town-hall meetings.
One does hope that this is a permanent and long overdue change to the currency although I do have to question why Hamilton has to remain on the bill at all (or, since Hamilton was the First Treasury Secretary, why can't a miniature of his image be on all bills, for that matter).
And I do wonder why they couldn't get rid of Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill but, nevertheless, this is a bit historic.
My vote remains with Harriet Tubman or Eleanor Roosevelt.