(Photo Credit: The New York Times)

The Early Design Was Leaked From The Bureau of Engraving and Printing

The New York Times has obtained the design for the new $20 bill, which will bear the image of former American slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Tubman helped many other slaves escape to freedom in the North before the Civil War and played a key role in the formation of the Underground Railroad.

Just last month, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the new $20 bill wouldn’t debut for at least six years and might not feature Tubman at all. Still, the New York Times was able to obtain a copy of the design and post the image to its Twitter account.

“Here’s an early design of the Harriet Tubman $20 bill created by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Steven Mnuchin said designs would be delayed until 2026 and a future Treasury secretary will decide who’s on the face of the note,” The New York Times tweeted.

Just hours later, the Times tweeted that the new $20 bill was being delayed “for political reasons.” Mnuchin denied the allegations outright.

“Let me assure you, this speculation that we’ve slowed down the process is just not the case,” Mnuchin told reporters outside the G-20 summit.

If the release of the new bill is delayed until 2026, a future Treasury Secretary will decide who appears on the new bill.