Why Are People Portrayed on Banknotes?

The portrayal of people on banknotes is a tradition that reflects the cultural and historical significance of each nation. Every country features individuals who are deemed important in its history or culture on its currency. This practice not only helps in identifying the currency but also serves as a form of propaganda and national pride. If you are curious about the faces on your country's money, check out Wikipedia for details.

The Dual Purpose of Banknote Designs

The designs on banknotes serve two primary purposes: identification and anti-counterfeiting measures. First, they must enable users to identify the currency type and its value. Second, they must make it difficult for people to forge the notes, which is why the designs are often very detailed and complex.

Facilitating Identification

Pictures help in identification. For instance, all Bank of England notes feature a picture of the Queen and other well-known English people. Detailed portraits are more difficult to forge than neat geometric designs, and pictures of landscapes or famous buildings also aid in this process.

Anti-Counterfeiting Measures

Even notes without faces can be found. For example, the 2002-2017 €50 note was notable for its faceless design. However, faces are traditional and trace their origins back to ancient times. Early Greek coins featured geometrical marks, which evolved into animal heads and later the heads of mythological figures.

Historical Context and Propaganda

The tradition of depicting human faces on coins originated in Ancient Greece, where early coins displayed geometrical marks. This developed into animal heads and then the heads of mythical figures. In Rome, during the Republican era, coins often depicted the goddess Roma. By the end of the Republic, powerful generals began striking coins with their own images, a practice that served as effective propaganda, especially when combined with symbolism on the reverse.

Later, the use of coinage as propaganda became a core tradition in the Imperial era and was widely adopted by other rulers. This practice was carried over into the design of paper money, leading to the tradition we see today.