The US dollar will bear two women’s signatures for the first time, belonging to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US Treasurer Lynn Malerba, officials said Thursday as they unveiled the banknotes.
The notes are set for delivery to the Federal Reserve this month and will be in circulation starting 2023, according to the Treasury Department.
“This is the first time the signature of a woman Treasury Secretary will be on a US banknote. And the first time the signatures of two women will be on our currency,” said Yellen in a speech at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
“Today is not about me or a new signature on our currency. It’s about our collective work to create a stronger and more inclusive economy,” she added.
Currently, women represent about 62 percent of the Treasury workforce and hold positions of power, she said.
But much more needs to be done, Yellen added.
“I hope that today is a reminder of the road we’ve traveled on equity and inclusion. And I hope it motivates us to continue to move forward,” she said.
Malerba’s signature also marks the first time US currency will feature the signature of a Native American woman.
“This moment is history,” said Malerba.
The first such notes coming into circulation will be $1 and $5 bills.
“I’ll admit: I spent some quality time practicing my signature before submitting it,” Yellen said.
Former president Barack Obama’s Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner “famously had to change his signature in order to make it legible,” she added.
Apart from the site in Texas, the only other greenback printing facility is in US capital Washington.
