African Americans on Currency

It is a little known fact that five African Americans have had their signatures on currency. The four African American men whose signatures appeared on the currency were Blanche K. Bruce, Judson W. Lyons, William T. Vernon and James C. Napier. These men served as Registers of the Treasury. Until the series 1923 currency, the two signatures on almost all currency (except Fractional Currency and Demand Notes) were of the Treasurer and the Register. During this period four of the 17 registers were African American. The fifth African American whose signature appeared on currency was Azie Taylor Morton. Ms. Morton was the 36th Treasurer of the United States. She served from September 12, 1977, to January 20, 1981. There are no images of African-Americans printed on U.S. currency.

The records of the U.S. Mint, the agency responsible for manufacturing U.S. coins, show that two fifty cent commemorative silver coins were produced during the 1940s commemorating Black Americans: the Carver-Washington coin and the Booker T. Washington memorial coin. The coins are listed in the Official Red Book of United States Coins. These coins, are only available from collectors. The Jackie Robinson coin can be purchased directly from the United States Mint.