Money Before America
Long before the United States had a Treasury or a central bank, colonies, states, territories, and private banks issued their own paper money. These notes — "Colonial" for pre-1776 issues and "Obsolete" for the 1780s–1860s state bank era — represent the most visually diverse and historically rich period in American numismatics.
Colonial notes were hand-signed, often printed on rag paper, and backed by nothing more than a colonial government's authority. Obsolete notes came from the era of "free banking" — any chartered bank could issue its own currency, leading to thousands of different designs from states, towns, and private institutions across the young nation.
Many of these issuing banks failed, leaving their notes worthless — hence "obsolete." But today those pieces are among the most sought-after in American paper money collecting, prized for their artistic engravings, local imagery, and the stories of the communities they served.
Categories
Colonial Notes
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and all 13 colonies issued paper money. Hand-signed examples are the holy grail. Some bear "to counterfeit is death" warnings in period typography.
Continental Currency
Issued by the Continental Congress to finance the Revolution. "Not worth a Continental" entered the language as these notes hyperinflated — making surviving examples rare and historically profound.
Obsolete State Bank Notes
The free banking era produced extraordinary engraved designs — steamboats, allegorical figures, wildlife, portraits. No two issuers were alike. A collector's paradise.
Colonial and obsolete pieces are among the hardest to source. Reach out if you're hunting a specific state or issuer.