5 Currency Facts You Probably Didn't Know About the US $20 Dollar Bill

7.9 Years of Hand-offs

The latest version of the US 20 dollar bill lasts almost 8 years. The note’s lifespan is third in the running for our country’s banknote lifespan; trumped by the longer-lasting 50 and 100 dollar banknotes.

Tilt your Twenty

If you happen to have a twenty-dollar bill on you, hold it up in front of you and tilt it to the right. You’ll see the “20”  that’s embossed on the bottom right-hand corner shift from copper to green. This little known feature helps us recognize counterfeit bills.

An Ironic Portrait

Most Counterfeited

If the US 20 dollar bill was up for a superlative, it would win “Most Likely to be counterfeited” by a landslide. For one reason or another, the 20 is the banknote our country can’t get enough of, however, when it comes to international counterfeiting the US 100 takes the cake. Which leads us to our next currency fact below.

Women on 20's

Back in 2016, a campaign called “Women on 20s” was developed by W20 to get people to vote on which famous woman in history should replace Andrew Jackson on the US 20. Seeing as the US 20 is the most counterfeited, and counterfeit issues tend to be the reason for banknote redesigns, the “Women on 20s” campaign was a perfect way to make American currency history, all the while combating counterfeiters. 

Historic figure and fearless abolitionist, Harriet Tubman, won this campaign. Tubman beat out highly esteemed nominees like Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks. Unfortunately, the change to Harriet Tubman is to be delayed until the next president as President Trump and Stephen Mnuchin have put other banknotes first as a priority.

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