ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

United States Note

Hello kiddo! Today we are going to talk about United States Notes, also known as Legal Tender Notes.

United States Notes are pieces of paper that we use as money to buy things we want or need. They have pictures of famous people like presidents, symbols of our country, and numbers that tell us how much they are worth.

These notes were first issued by the United States government during the Civil War in 1862 as a way to pay for the war effort. At the time, banks were having a hard time keeping enough money to give people, which made it hard for them to buy things.

United States Notes are different from other types of currency like coins, which have a fixed value based on their weight and composition of the metal they are made of. United States Notes, on the other hand, have a value that is determined by the government and can change over time.

These bills are also unique because they are not backed by any physical commodity like gold or silver. They are simply backed by the faith and credit of the United States government, which means that people trust that the government will pay its debts and that these notes will retain their value.

Today, United States Notes are no longer being printed, but you may still see them in circulation. They are now considered a type of historical currency and are valued by collectors.

So there you have it, kiddo! United States Notes are just like dollars, but a little bit different because they don't have any physical backing like gold or silver, and their value is determined by the trust people have in the government.