US Treasury Struggles — and Stalls — Over Which Woman Will Appear on the $10 Bill

It turns out, we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out which woman will grace the front of the redesigned $10 bill.

Although a final decision on the matter was expected this month, the Treasury Department announced it’s putting off its selection until 2016, CBS reports.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob L. Lew first announced in June that a notable woman would be featured on the $10 redesign. Treasury solicited input and recommendations from the public and got more participation than it bargained for, which is apparently making a difficult decision even tougher.

“As a result of the tremendous amount of engagement, we have many more ideas than we had originally anticipated,” a Treasury spokesperson told CBS. “Therefore, we are taking additional time to carefully review and consider a range of options to honor the theme of democracy as well as the notable contributions women have made to our country.”

Among the names being put forward for the currency are Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks and Cherokee Nation chief and Native American activist Wilma Mankiller — although a vocal movement argues that the winning candidate should replace 7th U.S. President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill instead of changing the $10.

The nation’s first Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton is the current face of the $10 bill and will remain on the new $10 in some fashion.

“There are many options for continuing to honor Hamilton,” Treasury said. “While one option is producing two bills, we are exploring a variety of possibilities. However, security requirements are the driving consideration behind any new design.”

After considering the public’s input, it’s up to Lew to issue a final decision.

“The process is about more than just one square inch on a bill, and we look forward to sharing the secretary’s decision on currency redesign in the new year,” a Treasury spokesperson told CBS.

The new $10 bill is slated to be released in 2020, the 100th anniversary of the Constitution’s 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

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