Money With an Optimistic Message
55 Dollar Note, Colonial America, 1779. Printed in Philadelphia. Donated by The Chase Manhattan Bank. Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
By the 1770s, paper money was central to the colonial American economy. Each of the 13 colonies produced its own in a variety of designs and denominations.
Money served as a form of communication during the Revolutionary War. Colonial notes included messages of resistance, perseverance, and optimism in a time of growing tensions between the colonists and Great Britain and during the Revolutionary War.
Pictured above, this $55 note from 1779 features an image of the sun shining in the wake of a clearing storm with the message, “after dark clouds comes the morning” in Latin. This note conveyed a message of optimism that acknowledged the challenges colonists faced—and the belief that they would prevail.
View this note and more Revolutionary money in “The Value of Money” exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Read about money in America from the 1600s to today in the online exhibition, which explores the origins, innovations, messages, artistry, and allure of money, as well as new acquisitions to the collection.