History of U.S. Currency

By jjwberger

  • Colonial Bills

    Colonial Bills
    First paper money used by the Massachusetts bay colony to pay for war expenses

  • Continental Currency

    Continental Currency
    Continental Congress used this paper money to pay for the Revolutionary War but lost their value because they were easily counterfeited.

  • National Bank of North America

    National Bank of North America
    First national bank that was established in Philidalphia.

  • Dollar

    This is when the U.S. started using the dollar as a unit for money.

  • Coinage Act

    Coinage Act
    Coinage Act made the U.S. Mint and established the value of gold, silver, and copper coins.

  • U.S. Mint

    U.S. Mint
    This is when the first U.S. Mint was established by the Department of Treasury.

  • Greenbacks

    Greenbacks
    These bills were used to finance the Civil War and were the first paper money in general circulation.

  • First $10 Bill

    First $10 Bill
    These were the first ten dollar bills

  • Secret Service

    Secret Service
    Secret Service was established and used to control counterfeiters.

  • BEP

    BEP
    The Bureau of Engraving and Printing was established and started printing US currency.

  • Colored Money

    Colored Money
    Background color was used on the twenty dollar gold certificate and had a gold tint and a red seal.

  • FED

    FED
    The Federal Reserve Act was created and started making federal reserve notes and federal currency.

  • Ten Dollar Federal Reserve Note

    Ten Dollar Federal Reserve Note
    This was the first ten dollar Federal Reserve Note in circulation.

  • In God We Trust

    In God We Trust
    This is when paper money first showed In God We Trust on the note.

  • Microprinting

    Microprinting
    this is when microprinting was used of FED notes to stop counterfeits and first appeared on one hundred dollar bills.

  • $100 Bill

    $100 Bill
    The redesigned bill was created to stop counterfeiters and made the face bigger and off center.

  • Ink Shift

    Ink Shift
    The ink shift method was used to stop counterfeits. The ink changed from black to green when tilted.

  • Upgraded Money

    FED produced money with colored backrounds to help people with sight problems and to help stop counterfeits. It started with the $20 then went to the $50, $10, and $5 in the next couple years.

  • New $5 Bill

    New $5 Bill
    This new bill has many security features including 2 watermarks, a security thread, small number 5's, and has colored backrounds.