During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress issued paper money called continentals.
The Founding Fathers needed the money to pay for their war against Great Britain. But they printed so many bills that the currency lost its value. Soon, the colonists were saying that low-value things were “not worth a continental.”
But that was a long time ago, and today, the stability of the U.S. makes the dollar the world’s most desirable currency. Each day, the U.S. Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing makes 38 million paper bills, with a face value of about $750 million! This is primarily done to replace worn-out bills. The U.S. Mint, a factory the government controls, makes between 14 and 20 billion coins each year. In a process called “minting,” the coins are stamped with special designs and include their value and usually the year of their planned release.
