Rule #1: The person must have been dead for at least fifty years so as to judge more accurately the person's influence.
Rule #2: The person would appear on a bill for ten years only, after which there would be a new face on the bill.
I have proposed variations of this idea elsewhere.
$100 bill: dedicated to American military prowess. Our first $100 bill of this series would bear the face of George Patton. After ten years, McArthur or some other great military leader would appear.
$50 bill: dedicated to American arts. Our first $50 would contain the face of George Gershwin.
$20 bill: dedicated to American letters. Our first bill would show Mark Twain. After ten years, Faulkner or some other author would appear.
$10 bill: dedicated to American sports. Babe Ruth would appear on the first bill. After 10 years, Ty Cobb might be a good second choice.
$5 bill: dedicated to American science. Thomas Edison would be a no-brainer.
Using the Canadian example, I'd have the $1 coin replace the $1 bill, and Sacajawea would be fine. Before we started putting presidents on coins, we used female or Indian depictions of Liberty. This coin does both.
Oh heck!
Why not put multiple pictures on the bill.
You tilt it this way and that to see the different people.
Good way to make it hard to counterfeit; too!
May I present, with tongue in cheek, the liberal version:
$100 bill: dedicated to American Anti- military prowess – Jane Fonda for her courageous efforts during the Viet Nam atrocities.
$50 bill: dedicated to American arts. Our first $50 – Billie Holiday a drug addled prostitute who gave the world her gift of song.
$20 bill: dedicated to American letters – Truman Capote – This writer was a source of pride to every bath house regular.
$10 bill: dedicated to American sports. Billie Jean King who had the courage to stand up to an old white guy to prove virtually nothing.
$5 bill: dedicated to American science. – Al Gore robbed of the 2000 election he rose above this to dedicate his life to fighting global warming.
$3 Bill – Dedicated to all loving members, no matter whose member they love.