PMG Registry Featured Set: US Continental Currency

The United States is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, with celebrations that will reach their peak on July Fourth, the day Americans remember the signing of the Declaration of Independence with fireworks, parades and other patriotic practices. This month, the PMG Registry gets into the spirit by featuring Colonial Valley Collection's Colonial Valley Collection - Denomination Set.

This custom set is a nearly complete type set of all the denominations of Continental Currency. The set ranges from the quirky denomination of $1/6, which was issued in the February 17, 1776 authorization, all the way up to the massive $80, which was the last issue authorized, on January 14, 1779.

Along with the other fractional denominations of $1/3, $1/2 and $2/3, the $1/6 includes design elements also used on the Continental Dollars, some of the greatest coins in early American numismatics. These include the sundial on the front of the note and the interlinked chains on the back that contain the 13 colonies' names.

As part of the Revolutionary War, the British ran a counterfeiting operation that was successful in devaluing the currency of their rebellious colonies. Many of the Continental Currency notes show various leaves, whose unique vein patterns were seen as a way to frustrate counterfeiters. For instance, a strawberry leaf is featured on the back of the $80. You can explore the whole set by viewing its slideshow.

Thank you, Colonial Valley Collection, for sharing your images of this set along with descriptions with each note. Your interest in early American numismatics is an asset to the entire PMG Registry community!

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2025 PMG Registry Awards, which were announced at the ANA World’s Fair of Money! Winners received a personalized plaque, an icon of recognition next to their PMG Registry set and a $500 PMG grading credit.

Thank you all for your continued support of the PMG Registry, the finest online collecting platform for paper money. The PMG Registry is a free online resource where collectors register and display their certified notes and can compete against other collectors around the world for recognition and prizes. This popular resource now boasts 25,000 registered sets and more than 144,000 registered notes.

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