What If the U.S. Dollar Were Redesigned?
The U.S. dollar is one of the most recognizable banknotes in the world, yet its core design language has barely changed in decades. Portraits, seals, and familiar layouts have become symbols of stability, but they also raise an interesting question: what would a redesigned U.S. dollar look like today?
Around the world, currency redesigns often reflect shifts in technology, culture, and national identity. Some lean into bold color palettes and modern typography. Others experiment with vertical layouts, transparent windows, or abstract symbolism. A redesigned U.S. dollar could do the same, balancing trust and tradition with contemporary design and advanced security features.
This post explores concept redesigns of the U.S. dollar created by designers, artists, and currency enthusiasts. These ideas are not about replacing the dollar, but reimagining it. What stories could it tell? What values could it reflect? And how might modern design reshape something we handle every day without a second thought?
As you explore the concepts below, consider this: if the dollar were redesigned today, what should it say about the United States now, not just its past?
Articles listed below showcase these designs:
- https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/11/travis-purrington-volunteers-to-redesign-the-u-s-dollar-bill.html
- https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/alternative-designs-for-us-currency/
- https://medium.com/@TomBadley/after-the-civil-war-2-0-americas-new-dollar-f560f290358c
- http://www.richardwinchell.com/work/dollar/index.html
In 2010, this design won The Dollar ReDe$ign Project. “Relative Value” by Duncan Dowling. “We have kept the width the same as the existing dollars. However we have changed the size of the note so that the one dollar is shorter and the 100 dollar is the longest. When stacked on top of each other it is easy to see how much money you have.”
U.S. Currency Redesign is Coming…in 2026
From the official U.S. BEP website:
Public Education
Note designs are typically made public six to eight months ahead of time for global public education and cash handler education purposes. To do so earlier would aid counterfeiters and cause confusion in the marketplace, lowering confidence in U.S. currency. Note “concepts” are not released earlier for these same reasons. Designs and concepts evolve throughout the development process to ensure manufacturability and optimal levels of security.
Current Schedule
The current denomination sequence and planned issuance dates have been in development with the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence Committee since 2011: $10 (2026), $50 (2028), $20 (2030), $5 (2032) and $100 (2034). This sequence addresses risk mitigation and counterfeiting concerns.
Source: https://www.bep.gov/currency/currency-redesign
So, what would you like to see as a design for the next U.S. dollar bill?
Comment below or participate in this poll:
So what would the next US $10 bill look like? Curious on your thoughts… I’ll be posting more about the history of the ten dollar bill and my reiteration/version of it.
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