Currency Timeline

By abrianna.barnes

  • Colonial Note

    Colonial Note
    The Massachusetts Bay Colony issued the first paper currency and soon after, other colonies started following the trend.

  • Continental Currency

    Continental Currency
    The Continental Congress gave out paper money to support the Revolutionary War. The currency was easily counterfeited so it lost it's value rapidly.

  • Adoption of the Dollar Sign

    Adoption of the Dollar Sign
    The U.S adopted the dollar sign.

  • The Mint Act

    The Mint Act
    U.S Congress passed the Mint Act which established a coin system.

  • $10 Demand Notes

    $10 Demand Notes
    President Lincoln was on the first $10 bills.

  • Greenbacks

    Greenbacks
    The "greenbacks" were issued by the Department of Treasury to help finance the Civil War.

  • United States Notes

    United States Notes
    Congress replaced demand notes with "United States Notes" and circulated them until about 1971.

  • The Foundation of Modern Design

    The Foundation of Modern Design
    Currency started incorporating more security measures to prevent counterfeit.

  • Treasury Seal

    Treasury Seal
    During the Civil War, the Treasury seal starts appearing on currency.

  • First Division of the National Currency Bureau

    First Division of the National Currency Bureau
    To handle to bank notes the National Currency Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency were created by Congress.