Even though President Donald Trump's administration won't officially produce $20 bills with Harriet Tubman's face, that isn't stopping one artist from taking matters into his own hands.
The Washington Post reports that one New York-based artist developed a 3-D stamp that allows the modification of bills with the political activist's face over Andrew Jackson's. Dano Wall has already sold over 600 models and plans to produce more.
"My goal is to get 5,000 stamps out there," Wall, 33, said to The Post. "If there are 5,000 people consistently stamping currency, we could get a significant percent of circulating $20 bills [with the Tubman] stamp, at which point it would be impossible to ignore."
We’ll see about that https://t.co/Scg8TZtmih
— tubmanstamp (@tubmanstamp) May 22, 2019
Wall began producing the stamps in 2017 and explained his reasoning for starting the project to The Post.
"Putting Harriet Tubman on the front of the $20 bill would have constituted a monumental symbolic change, disrupting the pattern of white men who appear on our bills."
He continued: "By putting her on the most popular note currently in circulation, indicates exactly what kind of a life we choose to celebrate; what values we, as a country, most hope to emulate. Harriet Tubman's unparalleled grit, intelligence, and bravery over the course of her long life certainly make her worthy of such an honor."
As Blavity previously reported, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin confirmed on Wednesday the Trump administration has no intention on putting the revered Civil Rights hero on the bill until at least 2028, telling Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) instead his department will direct their attention to making the $10 and $50 bills more secure.
"The primary reason we have looked at redesigning the currency is for counterfeiting issues," Mnuchin said before the House Financial Services Committee. "Based upon this, the $20 bill will now not come out until 2028. The $10 bill and the $50 bill will come out with new features beforehand."
The creative used an authorized image of a young Harriet Tubman to manufacture his stamp, revealing that a 3-D printer and laser cutters helped bring the imprint to life.
"I got some engravable rubber and that is how I made the stamp face," Wall explained. "I think it's a really beautiful image and is significant in that it is the earliest known photograph of her. It also happened that her face lined up very nicely with Andrew Jackson's features when superimposed on the bill, so I decided to go with that rather than use any of the older portraits of her that I'd seen in other proposed designs."
Those wanting to cop a stamp of their own can visit Wall's Etsy store to place their order. They are currently sold out, but individuals can sign up to be notified when more becomes available.