Continental Counterfeit Note Detector

After declaring independence, the Continental Congress commissioned paper notes, or bills. As the Revolutionary War continued, the British attempted to weaken the value of Continental money by printing a surplus of counterfeit notes. Congress ordered the printing of counterfeit note detectors to assist shop owners with spotting the fake bills through side-by-side comparisons. The detectors were printed on blue fiber paper without a handwritten bill number or signatures to prevent their potential usage as actual bills. David Hall and William Sellers, Philadelphia printers of this detector, also produced the Pennsylvania Gazette along with other government projects.  

Object Details

• After declaring independence, the Continental Congress commissioned paper notes, or bills. As the Revolutionary War continued, the British attempted to weaken the value of Continental money by printing a surplus of counterfeit notes. Congress ordered the printing of counterfeit note detectors to assist shop owners with spotting the fake bills through side-by-side comparisons. The detectors were printed on blue fiber paper without a handwritten bill number or signatures to prevent their potential usage as actual bills. David Hall and William Sellers, Philadelphia printers of this detector, also produced the Pennsylvania Gazette along with other government projects.