U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced Wednesday that a woman will appear on a new, redesigned $10 bill in 2020. The redesign will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. The new $10 will be the first bill in over a century to feature the likeness of a woman. It also will include tactile features for the blind, as well as new anti-counterfeiting components. Also, Alexander Hamilton, who now appears on the bill, will still be featured in some way.
A decision on the lucky lady won’t be made for several months, but already speculation is heated on who she might be.
Slideshow: 10 Women Who Could Be on the New $10 Bill
Ultimately, the decision will be up to Lew, but he’s asked for the public to weigh in on social media using the hashtag #TheNew10. The Treasury Department also has a few guidelines for who can be considered: “Democracy is the theme for the next redesigned series and the Secretary will select a woman recognized by the public who was a champion for democracy in the United States,” the department’s website explains. “The person should be iconic and have made a significant contribution to — or impact on — protecting the freedoms on which our nation was founded.” By law, a living person can’t be featured on the bills.
Completely ignoring those criteria, the Twittersphere has chimed in with suggestions ranging from Princess Leia to Beyoncé to Sinead O’Connor and even Kanye West. Those names aren’t likely to make the cut, but here are 9 contenders who could:
Click here to see the 10 women who could be on the new $10 bill.
