WILL ALEXANDER HAMILTON STAY ON THE $10 BILL AFTER ALL?

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V19 2016 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 19, Number 12, March 20, 2016, Article 30

In the reading-the-tea-leaves department is this article published March 17, 2016 by Dan Holmes on Coin Update. It's about the previously-announced plans to replace Alexander Hamilton's portrait on the $10 bill. -Editor

The $10 bill has been the subject of much discussion lately as the Treasury gets ready to re-design the note in order to better protect it from counterfeiting. Of particular interest has been Treasury Secretary Jack Lew’s stated openness to adding a portrait of a woman to the denomination.

A spirited conversation followed the suggestion, with many commenters up in arms at the prospect of the $10 bill carrying an image of someone other than the co-author of The Federalist Papers. And when the Treasury implied that Hamilton would stay on the bill even as a woman was added, some advocates voiced their frustration that the woman selected for the honor would have to share the note.

Fast-forward a year and the legacy of Alexander Hamilton has found a surprising proponent on Broadway. Hamilton the musical was first performed in early 2015 and has since blown up into a cultural phenomenon. Using Alex Chernow’s biography of Hamilton as a guide, actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda re-imagined the founding father’s life story with a modern sensibility and a hip hop soundtrack, and has been rewarded with over-the-top ticket sales, rave reviews, and several awards.

This has led to a resurgence of interest in Hamilton the man, and Miranda spoke up for his subject in a recent meeting with none other than Secretary Lew himself.

The New York Times provided the following quote from a Treasury spokeswoman regarding the meeting:

“On Monday, Secretary Lew welcomed Lin-Manuel Miranda to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Secretary and Miranda talked about the enduring mark Alexander Hamilton left on our nation’s history and the Secretary provided a brief tour of Hamilton’s possessions and portraits on display at the Treasury Department. The Secretary thanked Miranda for the ingenious way in which he has been able to tell Hamilton’s story and ignite a renewed interest in one of our nation’s founding fathers. Sec. Lew also reiterated his commitment to continue to honor Alexander Hamilton on the 10 dollar bill.”

Secretary Lew also reiterated that Hamilton, the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, is one of his heroes. So whether or not Hamilton’s place on the 10 was ever in question, it’s now looking increasingly clear that he’s not going anywhere.

That's a lot to read into a tweet, but I'm also a Hamilton proponent and do hope the Treasury reconsiders its position. -Editor

Arthur Shippee forwarded the original New York Times article that sparked the story. Thanks! -Editor

Pablo Hoffman forwarded a follow-up opinion piece from the New York Times by the organizers of the push to put a woman on U.S. paper money. Thanks! -Editor

When we started “Women on 20s” a year ago to engage the nation in replacing Andrew Jackson with an iconic American woman on the $20 bill, we never imagined that Alexander Hamilton would be pleading for his life in a redesign of the $10 note. But now Lin-Manuel Miranda, the star who plays Hamilton in his own eponymous hit Broadway musical, is celebrating an assurance from Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew that Hamilton is safe. As Mr. Miranda tweeted to his followers, Lew told him, “You’re going to be very happy.” But will the redesign make women happy?

Anything short of a simultaneous redesign of the $20 bill giving women a place of their own in the all-male pantheon of our paper money is an affront. Sparked by our movement, hundreds of thousands of women and men have sent that message to the Treasury in the form of petitions, tweets and emails. Despite Secretary Lew’s hints in recent months that the back of the $10 bill offers ample real estate for honoring women, there is little evidence the public would support this compromise. We certainly don’t.

To me, the only problem with this process is a lack of transparency. Treasury has been working on its plans internally with nothing but hints coming out. They claim they're accounting for the public's desires, but no members of the public are in the room when decisions are being made. At least at the U.S. Mint there is a more open design process through the Citizen's Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). There is no equivalent body for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. -Editor

To read the complete article, see: A Woman’s Shot at the $20 (www.nytimes.com/2016/03/18/opinion/a-womans-shot-at-the-20.html?emc=edit_ty_20160318&nl=opinion&nlid=64598887&_r=0)