Famous Faces and Landmarks on World Banknotes

por Writersroom Boardwalk: George Washington

Every country picks a face or a place to put on its money, and the roster is a strange, fascinating mix. George Washington is on US banknotes. Over in the UK, it's King Charles III or Queen Elizabeth II, depending on which note you're holding. India went with Mahatma Gandhi, China with Mao Zedong, and Russia chose the Moscow Kremlin rather than a person. Japan's notes carry Shibusawa Eiichi alongside Mount Fuji. South Korea honors King Sejong the Great. Türkiye has Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Saudi Arabia pairs King Salman with Masjid al-Haram, the UAE shows the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and Qatar went with traditional dhow boats and national landmarks. France picked Marie Curie and Eiffel Tower themes. Canada and Australia both carry Queen Elizabeth II, with Australia also featuring Indigenous art. New Zealand has Sir Edmund Hillary. Brazil went with an effigy of the Republic and a jaguar. Mexico chose Benito Juárez and Frida Kahlo, Argentina has Eva Perón, Egypt shows ancient pyramids and mosques, and South Africa has Nelson Mandela. Farther down the list: Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh, Switzerland's Le Corbusier, Pakistan's Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Bangladesh's Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Nepal's Mount Everest, Indonesia's Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta, Nigeria's Alvan Ikoku, and Singapore's Yusof Ishak. Worth noting: the people and landmarks are genuine, but a few of the banknote visuals were artistically recreated for design purposes.