The Origin of the U.S. Dollar

Benjamin Franklin is one of the most well-known Founding Fathers, and most Americans are familiar with several of his high-profile contributions to early American life. In addition to being one of the Framers of the U.S. Constitution, he was a prolific inventor. Franklin’s many discoveries and inventions include the infamous story of tying a key to his kite to demonstrate electricity, as well as bifocal glasses, the lightning rod, and the Franklin stove. However, fewer people are aware of the impact Franklin had on the American economic system.

In the early days of the American Revolution, the thirteen colonies each had their own variations of currencies and economies. A longtime numismatist, Franklin began printing currency for the colony of New Jersey as early as the 1730s, incorporating his own innovative anticounterfeiting techniques into the designs. He advocated strongly in favor of paper money throughout his career, lobbying the British House of Commons to adopt paper currency as a means of stopping monetary deflation in 1766.  

Once the American Revolutionary War concluded, Franklin was one of the first to emphasize the need for a single, unified currency that carried the same value across the former colonies (now states). Beginning in 1776, continental dollars were produced in $1/6, $1/3, $1/2, $2/3, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8, and $30 denominations. Per Franklin’s innovative designs, each of these bills included advanced (for the time period) anticounterfeiting technology incorporated directly into the bill. Franklin invented an anticounterfeiting technique that involved casting a unique leaf design directly into the bill along with the other artwork. Because he used actual leaves to accomplish this feat, the designs were unique and difficult to duplicate.  

Along with the anticounterfeiting designs, each bill included symbols and phrases that were significant to the newly established nation. The most common phrase was “Fugio [time flies], mind your business.” Bills also included intricate linework, as well as a depiction of 13 interconnecting rings on the reverse of each denomination. Each of the 13 rings represented one of the original 13 colonies, and the interconnection signified their unity as they formed the new United States of America.

Now, 250 years later, a new commemorative set of Continental Currency Aurum® bills honors this original American currency. The Continental Currency Aurum set includes four bills that directly replicate the original $1/6, $1/3, $2/3, and $1/2 dollar. Each Aurum bill in this series features an identical reproduction of the original artwork. Unlike the original Continental Dollars, however, each bill in this series also incorporates 100mg of 24-karat gold directly into its design.  

Honor the proud history of American currency – with a modern twist – by bringing this beautiful commemorative Aurum set home.