Which president is on the paper bills?

Answer 1

To clear things up, there is not now and never has been any rule that only presidents can appear on US currency. In fact, two current bills feature non-presidents: Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, is on the $10 bill and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin is on the $100 bill. It's been nearly a century since portraits were changed so many people are unaware that at one time bills featured inventors, cabinet members, military heroes, and even first lady Martha Washington.

That said, the Treasury Department has never revealed the specific reasons that a particular individual was chosen to appear on currency. Generally they have to be a person who contributed in a significant manner to America's history, politics, culture, or other material aspect. Certainly Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Lincoln meet those criteria but there is no explanation for the choice of relatively less-important individuals (e.g. William McKinley), controversial leaders (Andrew Jackson), or the exclusion of someone like Theodore Roosevelt.

That ossification of portraits on US currency has led to recent calls for other individuals to be depicted, or for the removal of all portraits in favor of symbolic images.

Answer 2

$1: George Washington

$2: Thomas Jefferson

$5: Abraham Lincoln

$10: Alexander Hamilton

$20: Andrew Jackson

$50: U. S. Grant

$100: Benjamin Franklin

$500: William McKinley

$1,000: Grover Cleveland

$5,000: James Madison

$10,000: Salmon P. Chase (was not a president)

$100,000: Woodrow Wilson