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Groundbreaking Women Featured on Global Currency

Groundbreaking Women Featured on Global Currency

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Tamer Soliman / iStock via Getty Images

Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002)

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Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Božena Němcová (1820-1862)

Bence Bezeredy / iStock via Getty Images

Carmen Lyra (1888-1949)

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Catherine Flon (Unknown)

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Clara Schumann (1819-1896)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Corazon C. Aquino (1933-2009)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Dido (814 BCE)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Edith Cowan (1861-1932)

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Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Emmy Destinn (1878-1930)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Eva Perón (1919-1952)

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Fatma Aliye Topuz (1862-1936)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)

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Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

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Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Greta Garbo (1905-1990)

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Higuchi Ichiyō (1872-1896)

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Jane Austen (1775-1817)

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Jenny Lind (1820-1887)

Di Qin / iStock via Getty Images

Juana de Ibarbourou (1892-1979)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Kate Sheppard (1847-1934)

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Kirsten Flagstad (1895-1962)

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Kurmanjan Datka (1811-1907)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Ladi Kwali (1925-1984)

Maksym Kapliuk / iStock via Getty Images

Lesya Ukrainka (1871-1913)

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Maria Montessori (1870-1952)

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Mary Gilmore (1865-1962)

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Mary Slessor (1848-1915)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Nadežda Petrović (1873-1915)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Nanny of the Maroons (c. 1686-c. 1733)

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Nellie Melba (1861-1931)

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Pocahontas (c. 1596-1617)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Policarpa Salavarrieta (1795-1817)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)

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Queen Tamar (c. 1160-c.1213)

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Queen Teuta (c. 260 BCE - c. 228 BCE)

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Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir (1646-1715)

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Rose Lomathinda Chibambo (1928–2016)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Rose of Lima (1586-1617)

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Salomé Ureña (1850-1897)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Shin Saimdang (1504-1551)

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Sigrid Undset (1882-1949)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Sophie Taeuber-Arp (1889-1943)

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695)

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Viola Desmond (1914-1965)

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Zenobia (c. 240 CE-c. 270 CE)

Tamer Soliman / iStock via Getty Images

Agnes of Bohemia (1211-1282)
Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002)
Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005)
Božena Němcová (1820-1862)
Carmen Lyra (1888-1949)
Catherine Flon (Unknown)
Cesária Évora (1941-2011)
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
Corazon C. Aquino (1933-2009)
Dido (814 BCE)
Edith Cowan (1861-1932)
Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845)
Emmy Destinn (1878-1930)
Eva Perón (1919-1952)
Fatma Aliye Topuz (1862-1936)
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)
Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)
Golda Meir (1898-1978)
Greta Garbo (1905-1990)
Higuchi Ichiyō (1872-1896)
Jane Austen (1775-1817)
Jenny Lind (1820-1887)
Josefa Llanes Escoda (1898-1945)
Juana de Ibarbourou (1892-1979)
Kate Sheppard (1847-1934)
Kirsten Flagstad (1895-1962)
Kurmanjan Datka (1811-1907)
Ladi Kwali (1925-1984)
Lesya Ukrainka (1871-1913)
Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi (1799-1866)
Maria Montessori (1870-1952)
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Martha Washington (1731-1802)
Mary Gilmore (1865-1962)
Mary Slessor (1848-1915)
The Mirabal sisters (1924,1925,1926-1960)
Nadežda Petrović (1873-1915)
Nanny of the Maroons (c. 1686-c. 1733)
Nellie Melba (1861-1931)
Pocahontas (c. 1596-1617)
Policarpa Salavarrieta (1795-1817)
Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)
Queen Tamar (c. 1160-c.1213)
Queen Teuta (c. 260 BCE - c. 228 BCE)
Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir (1646-1715)
Rose Lomathinda Chibambo (1928–2016)
Rose of Lima (1586-1617)
Salomé Ureña (1850-1897)
Shin Saimdang (1504-1551)
Sigrid Undset (1882-1949)
Sophie Taeuber-Arp (1889-1943)
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695)
Viola Desmond (1914-1965)
Zenobia (c. 240 CE-c. 270 CE)

Throughout history, men have been widely recognized for their contributions to society, while women, despite their significant impact, have not always received the same level of acknowledgment. In the United States, there are roughly 300 statues honoring real women, compared to around 5,000 statues honoring men. This disparity in recognition reflects a broader global trend where women have often been overlooked and not given the accolades they truly deserve.

While they may not yet have the same level of appreciation their male counterparts may enjoy, numerous women, and the contributions they have made to society, don’t always go unnoticed and the true testimonial of how a country sincerely feels about women deserving of recognition is whether or not they are depicted on its currency. Several nations on every continent have honored their prominent female citizens, recent and ancient alike, by putting their likenesses on their legal tender.

To compile a list of women whose image has graced currency across the globe, 24/7 Tempo has gleaned information from sources such as Banknote World, Visual Capitalist, the National Museum of American History, and Mintage World, as well as several encyclopedia sites. The list is limited to paper currency and may include women who appeared on bank notes that are no longer in circulation, such as Germany’s Deutsche Mark and Italy’s lira, both supplanted by the euro in 1999 and 2002 respectively.

The late Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving sovereign in British history, appears on banknotes in 19 different currencies, reflecting how far the British Monarchy stretches. (It typically takes around two years for the U.K. to swap out monarchs on their money, with new banknotes featuring King Charles starting June 2024.) Images of other queens appear on currency as well, among them Dido of Carthage, and Teuta of Illyria. Other political leaders honored on banknotes included Israel’s Golda Meir and Corazon C. Aquino of the Philippines, both the first female heads of state in their respective countries. (These are the most iconic female rulers in history.)

It’s not only women in political leadership roles who appear on paper money, of course. Poets like Juana de Ibarbourou (Uruguay) and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Mexico) have graced banknotes as well as opera singers Birgit Nilsson (Denmark) and Jenny Lind (Sweden). Then there are the suffragettes, immortalized on currency like social activists and reformers of various kinds, some of whom paid for their commitment to liberty with their lives.

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