This unique and historic $7 Continental Currency Note is accompanied by a handwritten envelope and letter documenting its pedigree back to 1776. It was just authenticated and certified by PCGS and is being offered for sale for the first time. The fascinating history surrounding this set follows the genealogy tree of the Taft Family dating back to 1640, which includes President William Taft. This $7 Continental Currency note was in the Taft Family since the American Revolution in 1776. This incredible discovery was unknown to the numismatic community until now.
The American Revolution was a movement for independence, including political, social, and ideological change. Between 1765 and 1775 the desire for independence grew, resulting in protests and boycotts including the Stamp Act and Boston Tea Party. The first battles at Lexington and Concord in April of 1775 started the Revolutionary War between the American colonies and Britain.
The Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army which appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief in June 1775. The $7 Continental Currency notes were issued during the American Revolution by the Continental Congress as part of their effort to finance the war against Great Britain. The Continental Congress lacked the ability to levy taxes or generate revenue through other means, so they printed paper money, known as Continental currency, in large quantities to fund the war effort and to pay soldiers. This $7 note was issued on February 17th, 1776. It was part of the second issue of currency by the Continental Congress.
Ultimately, the Continental Currency became largely useless after the war, contributing to the financial instability of the early United States. The experience of hyperinflation caused by the Continental Currency was one of the factors that led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, which gave the federal government the power to coin money and regulate its value.
On July 4th 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. But major battles between the British and American colonies continued until 1781, with the American victory over the British at Yorktown. The War ends officially with the Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783. On March 4, 1789 the new United States Government, which was created by the Constitution officially began operations, replacing the old Articles of Confederation.
This $7 note was given to sergeant Frederick Taft for his service in the Revolutionary War and stayed in the Taft Family from 1776 until 2025. The letter and envelope written in 1843, document the pedigree of this $7 note.
The Taft family came from England, Scotland, Ireland and France. The first known ancestor of the Taft family in the United States, Robert Taft Sr., was born in 1640. He began a homestead in Mendon, Massachusetts (circa 1680). Today it is known as Uxbridge, Massachusetts, where he passed away in 1726.
Descendants of the Taft family lived for five generations on farms in Massachusetts before branching out to New York, Maryland and Ohio. Prominent family members include a Governor of Rhode Island, a United States Senator from Ohio, and a U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The most famous Taft Family member was William Howard Taft, who became the 27th President of the United States.
The Taft family was very prominently represented as soldiers in the Revolutionary War, mostly in the New England states. Following the Taft genealogy three generations later, Samuel Taft (1735-1816) served in the Continental Army and was the proprietor of a tavern in Uxbridge, now known as Samuel Taft House. President George Washington visited Samuel Taft in 1789 on his inaugural tour of New England. Samuel Taft was the father of Federick Taft, who was the sergeant in the American Revolution, and the original link to the pedigree of this $7 1776 note.
Frederick Taft was born on June 19th, 1759. He served in the Revolutionary War as a sergeant in one of the local militia units. Like many small towns in New England, Uxbridge contributed resources, including supplies, food, and ammunition, to the war effort. This was vital in the early stages of the war, when resources were limited, and each town had to do its part to support the Continental Army. He married Abigail Wood in June of 1782. Frederick and Abigail were the parents of Parla Parilla "Parly" Taft, who was born on March 5, 1798. She married Amory Warren on May 17, 1821.
One of their sons was Royal Sibley Warren (1822-1896) who was the 4th-great-grandson of Robert Taft, Sr. He was a physician and amateur microscopist, who lived in Waltham, Massachusetts. In 1843, R.S. Warren wrote a letter documenting that the $7 Continental Currency Note from 1776 was given to him by his grandfather, Frederick Taft. In this letter, he also mentions that Frederick Taft was a soldier in the American Revolution and received this note as payment for his service.
The Taft family expanded westward over the generations, with one branch of the Taft family settling in Ohio. Alphonso Taft (1810-1891) became a prominent figure in state and national politics. He attended Yale University, where he founded the Skull and Bones society. He later was Secretary of War and Attorney General of the United States. Alphonso's son, William Howard Taft, was born on September 15th, 1857.
William Howard Taft was the 4th-great-grandson of Robert Taft Sr. He was also a distant cousin to both Frederick Taft and R.S. Warren (Frederick Taft's grandson). He served as the 27th President of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1921 to 1930.
The connection of President William Howard Taft to Robert Taft Sr. is documented through genealogical records that span from colonial Massachusetts to the Presidency of the United States.
It is amazing that this $7 Continental Currency Note survived in the Taft family for 250 years. This unique numismatic discovery belongs in a museum, a collection of U.S. Currency, a collection of American Revolution antiques, or in a collection containing rare items from our nation's history.
1 of 3: American Revolution / Continental Currency
Fr. CC-29 Feb. 17, 1776 $7
Serial # 197521 Printer: Hall & Sellers, PA
2 of 3: (1843) Envelope - Uxbridge, Massachusetts
(PCGS typos: envelope is from 1843, not 1834 and
lines 2 & 3 are switched, $7 Note is from Frederic Taft)
3 of 3: 1843 Letter - Uxbridge, Massachusetts
(PCGS typos: letter is from 1843, not 1834 and
lines 2 & 3 are switched, $7 Note is from Frederic Taft)
Featured on the cover of the upcoming
Mint Error News Magazine Issue 84:
About The Authors:
Mike Byers
Publisher & Editor
minterrornews.com
Mike Byers is the Publisher and Editor of Mint Error News, author of the NLG award winning book World's Greatest Mint Errors. He is the largest dealer of the world's rarest mint errors and can be reached at mikebyers.com.
Greg Bennick
Mint Error News Consultant, CONECA Board Member and TAMS Board Member. Greg assisted with the genealogical research for this article.
Marc Crane
Mint Error News Consultant for Mint Errors, Patterns & Die Trials. He started Marc One Numismatics, Inc. in 1991. He is a member of the PNG (#565). Marc assisted with the historical documentation for this article.
