 "Will Charlie Kirk’s image appear on US currency?")
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk could appear on the United States currency. Two Republican lawmakers are reportedly planning to introduce a bill in the US House of Representatives to memorialise on American currency following his assassination earlier in the month.
Kirk, an ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead while attending an event at a college in Utah on September 10. The Republicans have since been honouring the right-wing activist.
Let’s take a closer look.
Will Kirk be on US currency?
Republican Representatives August Pfluger of Texas and Abraham Hamadeh of Arizona told Fox News they plan to bring a bill later this week directing the US Treasury to mint 400,000 silver dollar coins with Charlie Kirk’s face on them.
These coins would be considered legal tender. On one side, they will have Kirk’s image, while the other will feature the words “well done, good and faithful servant”.
The coins will be inscribed with the conservative activist’s full name, “Charles James Kirk,” the year 2026, and the US’ full name and motto.
The US Treasury Secretary will select the final design of the coins after consulting President Donald Trump.
Pfluger, the chair of the Republican Study Committee, has shown support for Kirk and the desire to honour his legacy. In an email statement to Newsweek, he described Kirk as a “conservative titan”, saying that the 31-year-old “deserves permanent recognition alongside our nation’s greatest leaders and influential figures.”
Pfluger said that “this commemorative coin will make Charlie the youngest American ever immortalised on legal US currency, a fitting honour that cements his extraordinary legacy alongside presidents and founding fathers who shaped our republic.”
“Since 1892, Congress has authorised commemorative coins to celebrate and honour historic American patriots,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital.
Hailing Kirk as an “American treasure,” the Republican added: “He tirelessly sacrificed his time, energy, and money to save this nation for future generations. Ultimately, at the hands of a radical leftist, he sacrificed his life.”
“His life must be commemorated, and this coin will allow us to pass a reminder of his remarkable life on to generations to come.”
This is the latest in the series of bills and resolutions introduced by Republican lawmakers to honour Kirk since his death.
Who decides who will be on US currency?
The Secretary of the Treasury makes the final call over whose face will appear on the US bill. The Congress can call for the redesign of the bill and even sitting presidents have suggested changes. But the final decision lies with the secretary.
Federal law prohibits featuring any living person’s face on US currency. This law was put in place after a Treasury Department employee, Spencer Clark, placed his own portrait on a new five-cent note in 1866. Following this, Congress passed a law that said that portraits on currency must be of someone already deceased.
However, the exact criteria for selecting who appears on our paper currency remain unclear.
According to the Treasury Department, it only considers “persons whose places in history the American people know well.”
The famous faces that have appeared on the US currency have been the same since 1929. A special treasury committee had selected them due to their “permanent familiarity in the minds of the public”, said the Department of the Treasury.
ALSO READ: Who is Brilyn Hollyhand, teen conservative hailed as Charlie Kirk's protege?
Who is on US currency?
Former presidents and founding fathers feature on US bills.
Benjamin Franklin is the face on the $100 bill, Alexander Hamilton is on the $10 note, George Washington’s face appears on the $1 bill, Thomas Jefferson is on $2 bill, Abraham Lincoln is on $5 note, Andrew Jackson is on $20 bill, Ulysses S Grant’s face is on $50 bill and William McKinley on $500 note.
Different versions of the $1 coin feature Native American guide Sacagawea, former US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall and suffragette Susan B Anthony, respectively, among others.
Only one woman has graced the printed US bill. The face of the US’ first First Lady, Martha Washington, appeared on the face of the $1 silver certificate in 1886. Ten years later, she was shifted to the back of the bill and featured next to her husband, George.
With inputs from agencies
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