The first coin officially produced for circulation in the United States was the Fugio cent , authorized in 1787 under the Articles of Confederation. It was based on the design of the Continental dollar, [according to Wikipedia] . This copper penny, [according to Hero Bullion] and [GovMint.com] reportedly designed by Benjamin Franklin, was in circulation for only one year. The Fugio cent is known for its distinctive imagery: on the obverse, a sundial with the sun and the phrases “Fugio” (referring to time flying by) and “Mind Your Business”; on the reverse, a chain of 13 links representing the original colonies and the phrase “We Are One”.
The first US Mint was established by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792. The mint delivered its first circulating coins, copper cents, on March 1, 1793. The first official silver coin was the half disme (half dime), struck in October 1792. According to tradition, these half dismes were made from Martha Washington’s silverware.
What was the first currency in the United States?
Thanks for asking. The Story of Money: 07–America’s First Paper Money Redeemable in English Shillings. Coins of any sort were scarce in the New World, and the colonists were forced to make paper money. Massachusetts Bay Colony notes of 1690, redeemable in English shillings, were the first paper bills issued by the government in America.