Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen moved one step closer to finally getting her signature on the U.S. dollar on Tuesday, when President Biden named Marilynn Malerba as treasurer of the United States.
Ms. Malerba, the chief of the Mohegan Tribe, will be the first Native American to hold the position. Her role, which does not require Senate confirmation, includes overseeing the U.S. Mint, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and Fort Knox.
While Ms. Yellen sat for her official currency signing more than a year ago, her name could not appear on the greenback until a U.S. treasurer was in place. Under arcane rules, both signatures must be added to new series of currency in tandem.
Emblazoning every denomination with your signature is seen as a key perk of being Treasury secretary — although it can carry risks.
Steven Mnuchin, who served as Treasury secretary under President Donald J. Trump, was mocked in 2017 for how he handled the rollout of the first dollar bill bearing his signature. He also bucked tradition and printed his name, rather than using cursive, as had been the norm.
Timothy F. Geithner, President Barack Obama’s first Treasury secretary, acknowledged that he had to work on his signature to make it more legible. And his successor, Jacob J. Lew, was laughed at for his signature, which initially resembled a doodle.
Ms. Yellen’s name likely won’t appear on any bills for several weeks. A representative for Treasury said that while she provided her signature to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on March 10, 2021, it can take up to four to five months to update printing plates for each denomination.
Those truly curious for how it may look can find some hints on documents she signed during her tenure as chair of the Federal Reserve.
