Pictured above are the first two postage stamps of the United States. Issued in 1847, the 5c stamp depicts Benjamin Franklin because he had been instrumental in setting up this country's postal service. The 10c stamp depicts George Washington. Thomas Jefferson was the next president to appear on a stamp, in 1856.
Now, here's your Final Jeopardy question:
In what year did a president first appear on an American coin?*We will accept a decade, rather than an exact year, but the year was significant in the choice of the president.
a) 1790s
b) 1830s
c) 1860s
d) 1900s
e) 1930s
* (the question refers to official U.S. currency, not commemorative coins or tokens)
(Answer and explanation in the Comments section)
It surprises many people to learn that no U.S. president was depicted on a coin until 1909, when the U.S. began issuing Lincoln pennies on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
ReplyDeletePrior to that, American coins had depicted eagles, shields, and various representations of "liberty."
My understanding (I don't have a source link for this) is that the intention during the first century or so of the country was to avoid placing presidents on coins so as not to "glorify" them.