Spawning a flurry of interest, the U.S. Treasury Department announced earlier this week that a woman will be featured on the $10 Federal Reserve note.
The announcement came from Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew on Wednesday, June 17, 2015. The changes will appear as part of the redesign process for the $10 bill and is scheduled to be unveiled in 2020.
"I’m proud to announce today that the new $10 bill will be the first bill in more than a century to feature the portrait of a woman," stated Jacob Lew, U.S. Treasury Secretary. "This historic endeavor has been years in the making."
2020 is also significant in that it marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote in the United States. Accordingly, the Treasury is asking for help on who should be featured.
It is seeking input from the public and requesting suggestions for a woman who contributed to the development of democracy in the United States. Suggestions are welcome on the new website set up by the Treasury at: http://thenew10.treasury.gov. The Treasury has invited the public to use the hashtag #TheNew10 to contribute and spread the word.
In addition to the online input, Treasury officials will also be gauging opinion from other methods. This is likely to include public meetings, roundtables and town halls.
How the chosen woman will be featured is yet to be determined. It has been indicated, however, that Alexander Hamilton will remain in some fashion on the note. Hamilton has been on the $10 since 1929. A woman, however, has not been seen on a U.S. bill since the late 1800’s when Martha Washington’s likeness was used on the $1 silver note.
