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How America's money has changed over time

The evolution of America's iconic currency
Currency chaos
Massachusetts pound coins
First American notes
Colonial currencies
Continental currency
Nova Constellatio
US dollar creation
First US dollar coin
Early coins
All-new coins
Paper money
Free for all
United States Notes
Supersized bills
Gold certificates
First nickel
Silver certificates
First wheat penny
Federal Reserve creation
Federal Reserve Notes
Small-size notes
Six kinds of currency
FDR's gold confiscation
Dead presidents' portraits
So long silver
Big-money notes pulled
Major changes
Security tweaks
Coin makeovers
Recent developments
Making history
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Courtesy PCGS

The evolution of America's iconic currency

The currency Americans use every day has undergone some major changes over the centuries. As Maya Angelou becomes the face of a new quarter, read on as we chart the evolution of America's currency from colonial times to the 21st century – and reveal how the look of the money has transformed through the ages.

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Daniel Coughlin

18 January 2022

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