It was 1776. The colonies had just declared their independence from England. A war was starting. We needed money. The Continental Congress, the lawmakers for this newest of nations, the United Colonies, was issuing paper money to support its operations and to show the rest of the world it had the sovereign power to do so. Coins of many countries were circulating in the colonies at that time. But they were few and never enough--and none belonged to the new union.
Benjamin Franklin, David Rittenhouse ...