Also known as the "Franklin Cent," it was the first coin to officially enter circulation in America. Minted in 1787, the copper design was created by Benjamin Franklin, and resembles the 1776 Continental Currency coin never put into circulation.
While the all-seeing eye on the $1 bill is universally recognizable, many would be surprised to learn the banknote also pays homage to the original 13 colonies.
While President Jackson's face appears on the $20 bill, he was actually a staunch opponent of paper money. Gold and silver coins were the only legal tender in his eyes.
While the first nationally circulated coins were minted around 1793, the first official paper notes didn't enter circulation until 1862.
From 1900 to 1933, money was backed by the Gold Standard, as under the law gold was the only metal that could be redeemed for banknotes. During this time, President Woodrow Wilson's Federal Reserve Act of 1913 created a decentralized bank to balance the sentiments of private banks and the populous.
In order to prevent the counterfeiting of bills, the government printed them in green ink. As cameras at the time could only take photos in black and white, this made it difficult to create photographic fakes.
In 1943, pennies were composed of steel and zinc, as copper was needed for ammunition. Produced by the mints in Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, it's the only regular-issue coin to contain no copper whatsoever.
Dubbed the "Double Eagle" coin, it was never actually put into circulation. Created under the Coinage Act of 1849, only two proof versions were minted, and its existence coincides with the California Gold Rush that occurred during the same year.
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