Happy birthday American money! On August 8th, 1786, the Continental Congress established a monetary system of the United States. The Ordinance established U.S. coins called mills, cents, dimes, dollars, and eagles. Thomas Jefferson defied the bankers and businessmen who wanted a monetary system similar to England’s with pounds and shillings, instead bringing us today’s dollar and cents. So you have probably heard of cents, dimes and dollars, but what about the mills and eagles? What were they and where did they go? Well, a mill was worth a thousandth of a dollar or one tenth of a penny. Even though
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