During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress issued paper money. The bills were called continentals.
The new country needed money to pay for its war against Great Britain. But too many bills were printed. So they had no value. Soon, colonists started saying things were “not worth a continental.”
Times have changed. The stability of the U.S. makes the dollar the world’s most wanted currency. Each day, the U.S. Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing pumps out 38 million paper bills. Their total face value is about $750 million! This is done mostly to replace worn-out bills. The U.S. Mint, a government-controlled factory, produces between 14 and 20 billion coins every year. The coins feature special designs, their value, and usually the year of their release. “Minting” is what we call the stamping process.
