Don’t worry, Hamilton fans: the Secretary of the Treasury has personally assured Lin-Manuel Miranda that you will be pleased with the redesign of the ten-dollar bill.
Last year—to much fanfare—the Treasury announced that the ten was due in the rotation for a redesign, and for the first time, they’d be putting a woman in the marquee spot. But that was before Hamilton fever swept the nation, generating a new wave of interest in Hamilton the man.
Now the New York Times points to a tweet from Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who recently visited the Treasury and had a chat with secretary Jack Lew about the founding father’s legacy. When a fan asked him on Twitter whether he could use his pull to keep Hamilton on the money, Miranda replied: “I talked to @USTreasury about this on Monday. Sec. Lew told me ‘you’re going to be very happy.’”
Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean America’s most beloved duel victim will keep the starring spot. The Times got a comment out of the Treasury, which was very vague and not exactly a promise that Hamilton will retain his current place of pride:
“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. Secretary Lew also reiterated his commitment to continue to honor Alexander Hamilton on the 10 dollar bill.”
And the Treasury said from the very beginning that they’d find some way to continue honoring the department’s first secretary on the ten, so this isn’t really a reversal.
But this is a great reminder that it’s not too late to kick that genocidal jerk Andrew Jackson off the twenty and replace him with Harriet Tubman. One group has offered the following compromise, via the New York Times:
Women On 20s has proposed a compromise, supported by NOW, to keep Hamilton alongside a woman chosen by Treasury and change the opposite side of the $10 bill, replacing the image of the Treasury building with a vignette of nearly a dozen female historical figures.
“That’s not in lieu of having the prime territory, which is the portrait side,” Ms. Howard said. A woman’s portrait could replace Jackson’s the next time the $20 note is redesigned, she said.
Alexander Hamilton would love nothing more than to be surrounded by ladies, anyway.
Photo via AP Images.