Author Proposes Reagan for $10 Bill and Teddy Roosevelt for $20

Q: As the nation rethinks its currency for 2026, which iconic historical figures might soon vanish from our wallets forever?

The figures most plausibly at risk of disappearing from U.S. paper money in this 2026 debate are Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill and Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill. That is the specific change proposed in the commentary that sparked the discussion. It argues for keeping George Washington on the $1, Thomas Jefferson on the $2, Abraham Lincoln on the $5, Ulysses S. Grant on the $50, and Benjamin Franklin on the $100, while replacing Jackson with Theodore Roosevelt on the $20 and Hamilton with Ronald Reagan on the $10. Jackson is also the most exposed historically because the $20 has already been the focus of redesign efforts. Earlier plans had called for Harriet Tubman to replace him, though reporting in 2026 says the Treasury is not currently moving forward with that change. Even so, Jackson remains the denomination most often mentioned in real redesign debates. Hamilton’s position is less officially threatened, but under the commentary’s proposal he would also vanish from wallets if a new $10 note were approved. No formal federal decision has been announced to remove him. So, based on the current 2026 discussion, the two iconic faces that might soon disappear are Jackson and Hamilton. But for now, this remains a commentary-driven proposal, not an enacted Treasury redesign.

1 articles · Updated · The Herald Journal · Aug 16

Ronald Reagan and Theodore Roosevelt are the author’s picks to replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill and Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill in a hypothetical redesign of U.S. paper currency.
The column frames the idea as a discussion exercise as cash use declines and the U.S. Mint has already stopped producing new pennies for general circulation after a final batch last November.
Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Grant and Franklin should stay on the $1, $2, $5, $50 and $100 bills, the author argues, while criticizing Hamilton’s Federalist leanings and questioning Jackson’s place on paper money.
Treasury rules bar living people from appearing on U.S. currency, and the author says portraits should honor dead historical figures who made major national contributions regardless of party.