7 Symbols on the $20 Bill — and What They Mean
United States currency is full of symbolic design choices and cryptic markings. First issued in 1861 as a demand note, the $20 bill is one of the most commonly used denominations. Over the years, the $20 bill has undergone numerous facelifts, from changing portraits and seals to the addition of color-shifting ink and security threads. Today’s version packs in more symbols than most people may realize. If you’ve ever wondered what those little letters, numbers, and emblems really mean, here’s a look at seven of the symbols found on the modern $20 bill.
The White House
The obverse (front) of the $20 bill features a portrait of President Andrew Jackson, but the reverse also has a prominent nod to the presidency: the White House. The image on the current $20 bill shows the north side of the White House; its main North Portico entrance and classic Ionic columns are a familiar sight to onlookers from Pennsylvania Avenue.
The White House vignette was added to the $20 bill in 1929 (the same year Jackson’s portrait was added). Initially, however, it featured a depiction of the South Portico. In 1929, the U.S. government reduced the size of all bills to save on manufacturing costs, and efforts were made to standardize the front and back designs across all denominations. This included putting portraits on the front and monuments or buildings on the back. In 1998, the $20 was redesigned in an effort to discourage counterfeiting, which introduced the depiction of the South Portico of the White House we see on the banknote today.
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Federal Reserve Seal
Located to the left of Jackson’s portrait, the black seal of the Federal Reserve System represents the nation’s central bank. This version of the Federal Reserve seal has appeared on all U.S. banknotes since 1996. It replaced an earlier system of each note featuring a letter and seal representing one of the 12 individual Federal Reserve banks. Instead, a letter and number below the upper left serial number now identify the issuing Federal Reserve bank. The modern seal is uniform across all denominations and signifies the authority of the Federal Reserve System as a whole, rather than a specific regional bank.
The seal’s design contains a bald eagle perched atop a shield of stripes; below, branches of olive and oak signify peace and strength. These elements also appear in the Federal Reserve Board of Governors seal, designed by architect and industrial designer Paul Cret, who was responsible for the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C.
Blue Eagle and Green Eagle
The eagle is an emblem that’s deeply woven into American iconography, and on the $20 bill, it appears not just once, not twice — but three times. In addition to the bald eagle that appears in the Federal Reserve seal, two others are included.
To the left of Jackson’s portrait on the front is a blue eagle clutching three arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. These items represent war and peace, respectively, and the eagle’s head turned toward the olive branch signifies that the U.S. remains dedicated to promoting peace. According to the U.S. Currency Education Program, this eagle’s design reflects the artistic style of Jackson’s era. A second, smaller eagle to the right of Jackson’s portrait appears in metallic green ink and more closely resembles the heraldic bald eagle found on contemporary designs. Both were included on the 2003 redesign as intentional symbols of freedom.
EURion Constellation
To the untrained eye, the clusters of tiny yellow numbers sprinkled around the White House on the back of the bill may not mean much. While they certainly add a bit of colorful flair, they’re actually a sneaky security feature that was added to the bill in 2003. This pattern is part of what’s known as the EURion constellation, a subtle arrangement of symbols used on currency and other secure documents to help imaging software detect and block unauthorized copying. German computer scientist Markus Kuhn coined the name in 2002, after noticing patterns of symbols resembling the Orion constellation. Because he first spotted it on a euro note, he dubbed it “EURion.”
Microprinting
One of the most deceptive features of the $20 bill is hiding in plain sight. Tiny words — so small they resemble lines or borders — are printed in various places using microprinting. This security feature is almost impossible to see and, most importantly, to replicate.
For instance, located to the right of Jackson’s portrait in the blue “Twenty USA” lettering, small text reading “USA 20” appears along the edge of the first three letters. And in the black border below the treasurer’s signature, “The United States of America 20 USA 20” is printed in microtext. There's also a number “20” between the large numbers “2” and “0” under the treasurer’s signature, and “USA” in the center of the “0.” Microprinting was introduced on U.S. currency in 1991.
Large Green Number “20”
In the lower-right corner on the back of the $20 bill is a large, dark-green number “20” on a plain background. This particular occurence of the numeral 20 stands out from the rest — elsewhere, the denomination numbers are elaborate, often outlined with borders or sitting on top of other design elements. In contrast, this one is more understated. Beginning in 1998, it was included to help individuals with visual impairments more easily identify the denomination.
Series Year
Several combinations of numbers and letters appear on U.S. bills, from serial numbers to face and back plate numbers. One of the most straightforward numbers printed on each bill is the series year, found on the front of the bill between the portrait of the statesman and the signature of the treasurer (or the secretary of the Treasury, depending on the age of the bill). It might be fair to assume this indicates when the individual note was printed, but it doesn’t: It lets you know when the secretary of the Treasury approved the design of the bill itself, or when the signature of a new secretary or treasurer was added to the bill. A letter after the year, such as “A” or “B,” indicates a major design revision. The series year acts as a time stamp of sorts, tracking the evolution of U.S. currency.
