Women’s Impact in the History of U.S. Currency

As we kick off Women’s History Month, the U.S. Currency Education Program is highlighting women who have played a critical role in the history of U.S. currency. For the first time in history, two women’s signatures appear on Federal Reserve notes. U.S. Treasurer Chief Lynn Malerba and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen now have their signatures featured on the Series 2021 $1 and $5 bills. Janet Yellen is the first woman to serve as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, while Chief Lynn Malerba is the first Native American to serve as the U.S. Treasurer.

All Federal Reserve notes include identifiers that provide information about that specific note. For example, the series year indicates the year in which a new design was approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, or the year in which the signature of a new secretary or treasurer was incorporated into the design. Specifically, Series 2021 indicates when the signature of a new secretary and treasurer was incorporated into the design. To learn more about banknote identifiers and see a list of treasurers and secretaries featured on older banknotes, visit the Banknote Identifiers and Symbols page.