-
Colonial Notes
Before and a little after the American Revolutions. All Americans used English, Spanish, and French currencies. The Massachussets Bay Colony was the first to issue the U.S. first paper money. -
The Nation's First Bank
The Continental Congress chartered the Bank of North America (located in Philadelphia) as the nation's first bank. The bank was created for financial support towards the Revolutionary War. -
The U.S. Dollar
The dollar was adopted as the nation's currency by the Continental Congress in 1785. It would be used after many private bank-note companies printed a variety of notes. -
Greenbacks
Replaced the Demand Notes. Were called "Greenbacks" because of the green tint that was used to discourage counterfeiting. -
Federal Reserve Act
The Federal Reserve Act was established after financial panics in 1893 and 1907. The Federal Reserve Act created the Federal Reserve System as the nation's central bank to help control the flow/ouput of money to help economic growth/stability. -
"In God We Trust"
In 1957, paper currency was first issued with the inscription "In God We Trust." This inscription now appears on all currencies published the year 1963, and after. -
50 State Quarters
In 1998 a program was created to run from 1999 until 2008, where 5 new quarters would be introduced each year. Each quarter featured a unique design to symbolize each state. -
Redesign of $5 and $10 bills
The government introduced a new design of $5 and $10 bills, in order to avoid counterfeiting. The new notes now have an off-center picture of Abraham Lincoln and Alexander Hamilton, along with a unique watermark and threading pattern.
