The E-Sylum:  Volume 6, Number 30, July 27, 2003, Article 17

"DEAD PRESIDENTS" NOW IN DICTIONARY

  Dick Johnson writes: "Merriam-Webster has just published
  its latest, eleventh edition of its widely used Collegiate
  Dictionary.  Among the 10,000 new words is one of
  numismatic interest: "dead presidents."

  Their definition of dead presidents: U.S. money in the
  form of bills, specifically Dollars.  The first use of the
  plural noun was tracked to 1944 but required a half
  century of slang use before reaching a permanent status
  in book form. It had gained popularity in hip-hop and rap.

  Numismatically the term is not quite accurate.  Benjamin
  Franklin ($100) and Alexander Hamilton ($10) on current
  paper money were never presidents. A better term would
  have been "dead patriots" but why should people who
  create and use slang (see above) be accurate? Or even
  educated?"

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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