Issuing authority
United States
Federal issuer of coinage and, through several authorities, many distinct classes of paper money.
- Kind
- state
- Region
- North America, North America
- Recorded period
- 1776 – present
Objects are filed under the historical authority that actually issued or made them. A recorded period comes from the issuer's own reference description and is left blank where no source states it.
Published entries
117
Individual types and documented families
With photographs
100%
117 with a credited real-object photo
Dated span
1776 – 1976
116 entries with their own date
Verified or well documented
17
Highest two confidence levels
Catalogue entries (117)
Filter these entries by era, material or confidenceSorted by date, earliest first.
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
banknotes
1/2 Dollar, Continental Congress 1776
1776
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (NU.NU75539.1), dated 1776, place made: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: note. Maker or mint: Franklin, Benjamin. Materials: paper (overall material); overall: 7.95 cm x 6.15 cm x.01 cm; 3 1…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
banknotes
1/6 Dollar, Continental Congress, 1776
1776
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (NU.69.130.2), dated 1776, place made: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: note. Maker or mint: Continental Congress. Materials: paper (overall material); overall: 8 cm x 6.2 cm x.01 cm; 3 5/32…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
banknotes
30 Dollars, Continental Congress, 1776
1776
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (NU.69.217.54), dated 1776, place made: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: note. Maker or mint: Continental Congress. Materials: paper (overall material); thread (part material); overall: 7.2…
Partial type record
Kulturen via Europeana
banknotes
Banknote, Columbian bank note Co Washington DC
banknote is held by Kulturen (Sweden), attributed to Columbian bank note Co Washington DC. Description supplied by the holding institution: Bright yellow green paper with black and red print on the front and green on the back. On the front an oval portrait on Rob J Walker and the text “United States, 25 cents, serie…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
medals
Horatio Gates at Saratoga, United States, 1777 (Struck from the original French dies by the U.S. Mint)
1777
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (1980.0444.07), dated 1777, place made: United States. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: Medal. Maker or mint: United States Mint. Materials: struck (overall production method); bronze (overall metal); circular (overall shape); overal…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
medals
John Paul Jones, Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis, United States, 1779
1779
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (NU.NU88049), dated 1779, place made: France. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: Medal. Maker or mint: Dupre, Augustin. Materials: struck (overall production method); bronze (overall metal); circular (overall shape); overall: 56 mm; 2…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
medals
Daniel Morgan at the Cowpens, United States, 1781 (Struck from 1839 Barré dies)
1781
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (NU.NU88280), dated 1781, place made: France. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: Medal / Medal; Personal; Commemorative. Maker or mint: Dupre, Augustin. Materials: struck (overall production method); white metal (overall metal); circul…
Partial type record
Unknown, purportedly Benjamin Franklin. via Wikimedia Commons
modern coins
Fugio cent
1787
The Fugio cent, also known as the Franklin cent, is a copper coin dated 1787 and recognised as the first official circulating coinage of the United States. Authorised on 21 April 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation, the piece was produced in copper with a weight of 0.36 ounces (10 grams). It is generally regar…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
Cent from Massachusetts, 1788
1788
Copper coin. Obverse: standing Native American facing left, holding an arrow in his left hand and a bow in his right hand. Reverse: eagle with spread wings holding a branch in its right talon and a bundle of arrows in its left talon, with value designation: cent on its breast, looking left. Year in exergue at the bo…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
modern coins
1 Cent, United States, 1793
1793
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (1995.0332.0001), dated 1793, place made: United States. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: coin. Maker or mint: United States Mint. Materials: bronze (overall material); overall: 26.9 mm; 1 1/16 in.
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
Dollar; first American dollar
1794
Silver coin. Obverse: head of a woman with wavy hair facing right. Date in legend at the bottom. Reverse: standing within two tied branches, eagle facing right with spread wings. As edge lettering denomination: UNIT HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as KOG-MP-1-5152; its record…
Partial type record
United States Mint, Smithsonian Institution via Wikimedia Commons
modern coins
Flowing Hair dollar
1794-1795
The Flowing Hair dollar was the first dollar coin produced by the United States federal government. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1794 and 1795, the coin was authorised under the Coinage Act of 1792 to form the foundation of the newly established American monetary system. Its dimensions and weight were directly…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
medals
Indian Peace Medal, John Adams, United States, 1797
1797
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (1986.0836.0053), dated 1797, place made: United States. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: Medal. Maker or mint: Furst, Moritz. Materials: struck (overall production method); bronze (overall metal); circular (overall shape); overall:…
Partial type record
Smithsonian National Postal Museum
stamps
10c Pennsylvania First Federal Issue embossed revenue stamped paper on document
April, 1800
10c Pennsylvania First Federal Issue embossed revenue stamped paper on document — revenue stamp in the Smithsonian National Postal Museum collection (object 0.260305.201.32.1), catalogued by the museum as Scott USA RM176. Dated by the museum: April, 1800. Medium: paper; ink (black). Scott's RM numbers cover embosse…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
modern coins
5 Dollars, United States, 1803
1803
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (NU.68.159.0164), dated 1803, place made: United States. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: coin. Maker or mint: U.S. Mint, Philadelphia. Materials: gold (overall metal); struck (overall production method); overall: 25 mm; 31/32 in.
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
banknotes
10 Dollars, New Hampshire, Hillsborough Bank, 1806
1806
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (2008.0108.0035), dated 1806, place made: United States: New Hampshire. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: paper money / note. Materials: paper (overall material); overall: 6.5 cm x 17 cm x.01 cm; 2 9/16 in x 6 11/16 in x in.
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
United States of America, dime, 1807
1807
Silver coin. Obverse: Liberty facing right, surrounded by stars. Year at the bottom. Reverse: eagle with spread wings holding a branch in its left talon and a bundle of arrows in its right talon, with an escutcheon on its breast, looking left. In its beak, a banner with inscription. Above it, stars and a ring of clo…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
Dime or 10 cents from the United States of America, 1814
1814
Silver coin. Obverse: Liberty facing left, surrounded by stars. Year at the bottom. Reverse: eagle with spread wings holding a branch in its right talon and a bundle of arrows in its left talon, with an escutcheon on its breast, looking left. Above it, a banner with inscription. At the bottom, value designation: 10…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
medals
Indian Peace Medal, James Madison, United States, 1809
1814
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (NU.67.98130), dated 1814, place made: United States. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: medal / medal; Indian Peace; Presidential. Maker or mint: Madison, James. Materials: struck (overall production method); bronze (overall metal); c…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
modern coins
5 Dollars, United States, 1815
1815
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (1985.0441.0157), dated 1815, place made: United States. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: coin. Maker or mint: U.S. Mint, Philadelphia. Materials: gold (overall metal); struck (overall production method); overall: 25.1 mm; in.
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
banknotes
5 Dollars, Farmers and Mechanics Bank, Ohio, United States, 1816
1816
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (1992.0281.1623), dated 1816, place made: United States: Ohio, Cincinnati. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: note. Maker or mint: W. Harrison. Materials: paper (overall material); overall: 7 cm x 16.8 cm x.01 cm; 2 3/4 in x 6 5/8 in x…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
½ dollar from the United States of America, 1818
1818
Silver coin. Obverse: Liberty head facing left, surrounded by stars. Year at the bottom. Reverse: eagle with spread wings holding a branch in its right talon and a bundle of arrows in its left talon, with an escutcheon on its breast, looking left. Above it, a banner with inscription. Value designation: 50 C. at the…
Partial type record
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
banknotes
5 Dollars, Merchants & Planters Bank, Georgia, United States, ca 1830
1830
Museum specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection (NU.NU170666.0118), dated 1830, place made: United States: Georgia. Museum record — Object name in the museum record: obsolete paper money / paper money. Maker or mint: unknown. Materials: paper (overall material); ink (overall material); overall: 75…
Partial type record
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
modern coins
United States of America, 5 cents or ½ dime, 1833
1833
Silver coin. Obverse: Liberty head facing left, surrounded by stars. Year at bottom. Reverse: eagle with spread wings holding a branch in its right talon and a bundle of arrows in its left talon and a coat of arms on its breast, looking back to the left. Above it a scroll with inscription. Value indication: 5 C. at…
Partial type record
Entries by catalogue category
- Postage Stamps49
- Modern World Coins39
- Banknotes19
- Commemorative and Award Medals9
- Pocket Watches1
Counts of published entries only. They describe this catalogue's holdings, not everything the issuer or maker produced.
Dated entries by century
- 18th century13
- 19th century81
- 20th century22
Only the 116 entries carrying their own date to within about 150 years are counted, by the earliest year given. These are catalogue holdings, not production totals.
Materials recorded in the physical descriptions
- Silver14
- Paper13
- Bronze9
- Gold9
- Nickel2
- Copper1
An entry made of several materials is counted once under each. Materials are counted only where the description states them.
Confidence of the published entries
- Verified1
- Well documented16
- Documented99
- Unverified1
Confidence reflects how well the sources support each entry's identification, not the object's quality or importance.
Most represented makers
Makers are linked only where the source record names them.
Browse other historical issuers and makers in the Atlas, or read how attributions are made in the editorial method.