- Spanish milled dollars: These were silver coins minted in Spanish America and widely accepted in the colonies due to their consistent quality and value.
- British pounds sterling: The British pound was also used in the colonies, especially for larger transactions.
- Various foreign coins: Other foreign coins, such as French francs and Dutch guilders, were also in circulation.
- Colonial paper money: Some colonies issued their own paper money, known as "bills of credit," to finance various public projects.
- Commodity money: In addition to coins and paper money, certain commodities such as tobacco, rice, and beaver pelts were sometimes used as a medium of exchange.
The lack of a standardized currency and the existence of multiple forms of money led to complexities and inconveniences in trade and commerce. It was not until the establishment of the federal government and the creation of the United States Mint in 1792 that a national currency based on the decimal system was introduced. The Coinage Act of 1792 established the U.S. dollar as the official currency and defined the denominations of coins, including the copper cent, nickel five cents, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar, silver dollar, and gold coins such as the eagle, half eagle, and quarter eagle.