The Reason A Woman Might Not Be On The $10 Bill

Great news, ladies! A woman is not going on the $10 bill (probably)! Wait, what? That's right; although the nation's first secretary of treasury, Alexander Hamilton, has graced the $10 bill since 1929 — following President Andrew Jackson who was on there from the banknote's advent in 1914 — a woman might not take Hamilton's place on the bill, but the reason is surprisingly cool. Instead, CNN Money reported, she might be taking Jackson's place on the $20 bill! Cha ching!

Recently, a debate has ensued regarding who will next grace the bill, after current Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew announced his plan to make the $10 bill's face into a female one, and a great deal of people have pushed for the replacement of the U.S Founding Father. However, Lew might have changed his mind due to the advent of a certain popular Broadway musical, and the contentious history surrounding President Jackson. The newly-designed $10 note was set to emerge into the American market in 2020, making a whole lot of feminists very happy, but it appears the decision to change the dollar's face to a female will now manifest differently than anticipated.

Unfortunately, the new $20 bill is not set to emerge until 2030, if, of course, Lew's newest idea sticks (he hasn't officially announced it yet). In the meantime — though definitely not better than a woman's face on the front of a bill — a mural-style depiction of the women's suffrage movement might take over the back of the $10, according to CNN Money. It will reportedly feature women such as Susan B. Anthony, and other important figures in women's history.

Some weeks ago, Secretary Lew assured Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator and star of Hamilton, the popular musical, that admirers of Hamilton would appreciate the changes made to the bank note, CNBC reported, implying that the nation's first treasury secretary is there to stay. Apparently, the two met up and discussed the mark Hamilton made on the history of the U.S., and Lew further implied that his idea to introduce a woman's face to the bill is modifying a bit. Perhaps he meant that it is going somewhere different altogether? Sounds like it.

As for the $20 bill, the Federal Reserve cannot really accelerate the process of producing these notes due to the security measures necessarily embedded in each bill to avoid counterfeiters, according to CNN Money. The Federal Reserve takes their technology very seriously.

Women have fought hard (and waited a long time) for equality, so some imagery would signify that the fight means something to Americans — especially for girls still growing up in a country with disproportionately low political representation. There are a lot of women — and people — who were hoping for the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in the U.S. to bring the American female population some visual representation on the country's currency. Unfortunately, it probably won't happen in a major way until 2030 at least.