The $50 bill features Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, on the front and the U.S. Capitol on the back.

All modern $50 bills are Federal Reserve Notes, meaning they are issued by the U.S. central banking system rather than the Treasury directly.

The average life of a $50 bill in circulation is around 12.2 years before it is replaced due to wear and tear.

$50 bills make up a small percentage of U.S. currency in circulation, accounting for only about 3.5% of all notes printed in 2019.

By the end of 2019, there were about 1.8 billion $50 bills in circulation, making them one of the least common denominations.

The bill measures 156 mm wide by 66.3 mm tall and weighs roughly 1 gram.

Security features on the $50 include color-shifting ink, microprinting, raised printing, security fibers, watermarks, and the EURion constellation to prevent copying.

Early $50 notes often paid interest to their original purchaser, with some three-year “seven-thirties” notes offering 7.3% annual interest.

In 1869, a $50 United States Note featured Henry Clay with an allegorical figure holding a laurel branch.

National Gold Bank $50 notes in 1870 were issued specifically for gold payments and featured George Washington crossing the Delaware.

Benjamin Franklin appeared on the obverse of a $50 note issued in 1874, alongside the goddess of Liberty.

The first $50 silver certificate was issued in 1878 with Edward Everett’s portrait, and its reverse was printed entirely in black ink.

The first $50 gold certificate, featuring Silas Wright, was issued in 1882 and had a striking orange reverse with a bald eagle atop the American flag.

The 1891 $50 Treasury “Coin Note” was issued for government silver purchases and featured William H. Seward.

Ulysses S. Grant first appeared on a $50 gold certificate in 1913.

The first $50 Federal Reserve Note appeared in 1914, featuring Grant on the obverse and an allegorical figure of Panama on the reverse.

Federal Reserve Bank Notes in 1918 were specific to St. Louis and could only be redeemed there, showing how localized currency could be in early Federal Reserve history.

Large-sized $50 notes (pre-1929) measured roughly 189 x 79 mm, much bigger than today’s standard. The modern small-sized $50 notes were introduced in 1928, standardized to the size we use today: 156 x 66 mm.

The 1928 $50 bill was issued both as a Federal Reserve Note with a green seal and as a gold certificate with a gold seal.

During the Great Depression in 1933, emergency $50 Federal Reserve Bank Notes were printed with brown seals to inject cash into the economy.

In 1934, the redeemable-in-gold clause was removed after the U.S. left the gold standard.

The motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” was added to the $50 bill in 1966, replacing the older wording “WILL PAY TO THE BEARER ON DEMAND.”

The Treasury seal changed from Latin to English in 1969, reflecting a modernization of the bill’s design.

Anti-counterfeiting features like microprinting and a plastic security strip first appeared on the $50 bill in Series 1990, printed in 1991.

The 1996 redesign added an off-center enlarged portrait of Grant, a color-shifting numeral, and a watermark to deter counterfeiters.

For visually impaired users, the 1996 $50 bill included a large dark “50” on the lower right corner of the reverse.

The 2004 redesign introduced subtle red and blue background images of the U.S. flag behind Grant’s portrait, the first multicolor use since 1905 on U.S. currency.

A small silver-blue star was added in 2004 near Grant’s portrait as part of the updated design.

The 2004 $50 bill removed the oval borders around the U.S. Capitol, replacing them with sky and clouds, giving it a more open look.

The EURion constellation pattern was added to the 2004 $50 bill to prevent photocopying.

The Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth, Texas, has printed all $50 bills since the 2004 redesign.

In 2005, there was a proposal to put Ronald Reagan on the $50 bill, but it never advanced beyond the House Financial Services Committee. Another attempt to feature Reagan on the $50 was introduced in 2010 by Representative Patrick McHenry but also did not succeed.

$50 bills are delivered in beige straps by Federal Reserve Banks, a subtle visual cue for cash handlers.