<P> The position of the dollar as the international reserve currency also has a cost: the American government is more likely to forego fiscal expansionary policies in order to maintain confidence in the dollar . </P> <P> A United States Note, also known as a Legal Tender Note, was a type of paper money that was issued from 1862 to 1971 in the U.S. Having been current for over 100 years, they were issued for longer than any other form of U.S. paper money . They were known popularly as "greenbacks" in their day, a name inherited from the Demand Notes that they replaced in 1862 . </P> <P> While issuance of United States Notes ended in January 1971, existing United States Notes are still valid currency in the United States today, though rarely seen in circulation . </P> <P> Both United States Notes and Federal Reserve Notes are parts of the national currency of the United States, and both have been legal tender since the gold recall of 1933 . Both have been used in circulation as money in the same way . However, the issuing authority for them came from different statutes . United States Notes were created as fiat currency, in that the government has never categorically guaranteed to redeem them for precious metal - even though at times, such as after the specie resumption of 1879, federal officials were authorized to do so if requested . </P>

When did the us start printing paper money