Uncut sheet with four different notes for fractions of a dollar, issued February 17, 1776, typeset, Philadelphia: Hall & Sellers.
In 1776, the Continental Congress introduced a new form of paper money—Continental currency—intended to unify commerce across the colonies during the Revolution. This rare uncut sheet, printed on paper containing blue fibers and mica flakes made at Ivy Mills in Chester County, Pennsylvania, holds several banknotes that were never separated into individual bills.
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) designed these notes at the request of Congress. The front displays a sundial, the Latin word Fugio (“I flee”), and the phrase Mind Your Business—a reminder that time is fleeting and diligence matters. The elaborate border designs with complex interlocked lettering were made by New York silversmith and engraver Elisha Gallaudet (d. 1779). On the reverse, thirteen interlocking rings—one for each colony—form a circle around the motto “American Congress We Are One,” a powerful emblem of unity during a turbulent era.
Congress printed a large quantity of these notes ($4,000,000). Because they were not backed by gold or silver, the first national currency rapidly depreciated. This mismanagement gave rise to the enduring phrase “not worth a Continental,” still used today to describe something of little or no value.