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What were Continentals?

Continentals were paper bills issued by the Continental Congress, the United States government during the American Revolution (1775–83). The money was printed in order to finance the revolution; the bills were to be exchanged for silver at a later date. By 1780, however, the Congress had printed so many Continentals, that the bills were essentially worthless. Eventually France helped the United States by making loans in gold and silver coin.

Further Information: Cribb, Joe. The Coin Atlas. New York: Facts On File, 1990; Museum of American Financial History. [Online] Available http://www.financialhistory.org/, October 30, 2000; Williams, Jonathan, ed. Money: A History. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997.

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