Printed paper declaring it stands for half a dollar according to a resolutio of Congress passed at Philadelphia, February 17, 1776. There is an icon with a moon on a stadium with a typed "Fugio. Mind your business."
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John M. Olin Library, Level 1, Declaration of Independence Chamber

Symbols of Liberty: Patriotic Imagery on Early American Paper Money

Printed paper declaring it stands for half a dollar according to a resolutio of Congress passed at Philadelphia, February 17, 1776. There is an icon with a moon on a stadium with a typed "Fugio. Mind your business."

Before the United States became a nation, its paper money conveyed messages of liberty, unity, and resistance to British rule. Through patriotic mottos and symbolic imagery, colonial currency reflected the Revolutionary era’s political ideals. The Symbols of Liberty exhibition explores how ordinary instruments of commerce became expressions of American identity and independence.

Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger organized this exhibition.

Image credit: Continental Currency, February 17, 1776, half dollar. Images courtesy of Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.