Continental Currency: 02/17/1776

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An emission totaling $4,000,000 payable in Spanish milled dollars, or the equivalent in gold or silver, was authorized by the Continental Congress resolution of February 10, 1776. Of this, $1,000,000 was reserved for the first national fractional currency. The front design on the fractional notes includes the first use of the "FUGIO" (I fly) legend and sundial, as well as the "Mind your Business" legend. The back shows the thirteen linked rings representing the colonies and the legends "We are one" and "American Congress". Eric Newman has discovered these designs were created by Benjamin Franklin (see his indispensable The Early Paper Money of America, p. 53). Note that on the fractional bills, the dots in the corners of the front design reflect the denomination, with one dot designating a sixth of a dollar, two dots for a third, three dots for $1/2, and four dots for $2/3. Also, fractional denominations come in plates A, B, and C. Again, it was Newman who discovered the devices and border designs for the fractional bills were cut by Elisha Gallaudet, who also designed the Continental Currency coin. There is one signer, in red ink, on the fractional bills and two signers, using red and brown ink, on the dollar denominations. Counterfeit detectors for the dollar denominations were made on blue paper. The Franklin designs were adopted for the Continental Currency coin made a few months later and for the 1787 Fugio cents. The paper, made at Ivy Mills in Chester County, Pennsylvania, contained blue fibers and mica flakes. Printed by Hall and Sellers in Philadelphia. Denominations printed were the: $1/6, $1/3, $1/2, $2/3, $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, and $8.

One Sixth of a Dollar

Image Courtesy of Louis Jordan

Numbered and signed in red ink. The sundial with the "FUGIO" legend and "MIND YOUR BUSINESS" motto appearon the right center of the front. In this fractional denomination, one ornament appears in the upper right corner of the sundial frame; this is keyed to the denomination as each mark equals 1/6th of a dollar. In the right border, the word "CURRENCEY" is misspelled. The back shows the thirteen linked rings representing the colonies and the legends "WE ARE ONE" and "AMERICAN CONGRESS". The paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.

Provenance: Scanned image of a note in the Collection of James Conner Poynor.

One Sixth of a Dollar

Image Courtesy of Louis Jordan

Numbered and signed in red ink. The sundial with the "FUGIO" legend and "MIND YOUR BUSINESS" motto appears in the right center of the front. In this fractional denomination, one ornament appears in the upper right corner of the sundial frame; this is keyed to the denomination as each mark equals 1/6th of a dollar. On the right border, the word "CURRENCEY" is misspelled. The back shows the thirteen linked rings representing the colonies and the legends "WE ARE ONE" and "AMERICAN CONGRESS." The Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.

Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 1/13/96, lot 278.

One Third of a Dollar

Image Courtesy of Louis Jordan

Numbered in red ink, signed in black ink. The sundial with the "FUGIO" legend and "MIND YOUR BUSINESS" motto appears in the right center of the front. In this fractional denomination, two ornaments appear in the corners of the sundial frame; this is keyed to the denomination as each mark equals 1/6th of a dollar. The back shows the thirteen linked rings representing the colonies and the legends "WE ARE ONE" and "AMERICAN CONGRESS". The paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.

Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 1/13/96, lot 279.

One Half of a Dollar

Image Courtesy of Louis Jordan

Numbered and signed in red ink. The sundial with the "FUGIO" legend and "MIND YOUR BUSINESS" motto appears on the left center of the front. In this fractional denomination, ornaments appear in three corners of the sundial frame. This is keyed to the denomination as each mark equals 1/6th of a dollar. The back shows the thirteen linked rings representing the colonies and the legends "WE ARE ONE" and "AMERICAN CONGRESS". The paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.

Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 11/16/96, lot 466.

Two Thirds of a Dollar

Image Courtesy of Louis Jordan

Numbered and signed in red ink. The sundial with the "FUGIO" legend and "MIND YOUR BUSINESS" motto appears on the left center of the front. In this fractional denomination, ornaments appear in all four corners of the sundial frame. This is keyed to the denomination as each mark equals 1/6th of a dollar. The back shows the thirteen linked rings representing the colonies and the legends "WE ARE ONE" and "AMERICAN CONGRESS". The paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.

Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 1/13/96, lot 281.

One Dollar

Image Courtesy of Louis Jordan

The numbering and first signature are in red, while the second signature is in black ink. The emblem on the front shows an acanthus plant with a large weighted pot or basket pressing it down; however, the acanthus leaves grow up around the pot. Above is the motto: "Depressa resurgit" (Having been pressed down, it rises up again). The nature print on the back contains a ragweed leaf and two willow leaves. No image of the back is available. The paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.

Courtesy of Early American Numismatic Auctions, Inc. Images used with permission from their online auction catalog for the auction of April 20, 1996, lot 383.

Two Dollars

Image Courtesy of Louis Jordan

Numbering and first signature in red ink; the signature in brown ink. The emblem on the front (39mm) shows grain being threshed with a flail and the motto: "Tribulatio ditat" (It is enriched by affliction). The nature print on the back is of a raspberry and two filbert leaves and is identical to a nature print used on earlier Pennsylvania currency. The paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.

Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the collection of William Warne of Harvey Cedars, NJ on 5/1/98.

Five Dollars

Image Courtesy of Louis Jordan

Numbering and second signature in red; first signature in black ink. This is the most difficult emblem in the series to understand. Benjamin Franklin explained the Continental Currency emblems in a letter published under the pseudonym of Clericus in the Pennsylvania Gazette of September 20, 1775. For the five dollar emblem he explained:

...we have a thorny bush, which a hand seems to be attempting to eradicate. The hand appears to bleed, as pricked by spines. The motto is, SUSTINE VEL ABSTINE; which may be rendered, Bear with me, or let me alone; or thus, Either support or leave me. The bush I suppose to mean America, the bleeding hand Britain. Would to God that bleeding were stopt, the wounds of that hand healed, and its future operations directed by wisdom and equity; so shall the hawthorn flourish, and form a hedge around it, annoying with her thorns only its invading enemies. [B. Franklin, Writings, ed. by J.A. Leo Lemay, 1987, pp. 734-738 on p. 735.]

The nature print on the back is of betony and sage and is identical to the nature print used on previously issued Pennsylvania currency. The paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.

Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 12/2/95, lot 392.

Seven Dollars

Image Courtesy of Louis Jordan

Numbering and first signature in red ink; second signature in black ink. The emblem on the front shows a storm at sea with the motto: "Serenabit" (It will clear up). The nature print on the back is of a buttercup. The paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.

Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 11/16/96, lot 471.