New Whitman Book Explores Continental Dollar Mystery

A new book combines cutting-edge science, numismatic research, and detective work to investigate the origins of one of America’s most mysterious early monetary artifacts. In The Continental Dollar: A Journey of Discovery, researcher and collector Robert L. Rodriguez presents findings from an extensive investigation into the 1776-dated dollars, whose origins, purpose, and status as coins or medals have been debated for 250 years.

Was the legendary 1776 Continental Dollar one of America’s first coins—or was it a medal produced elsewhere? Who made it, where was it struck, and what purpose did it serve? In his book, Rodriguez brings together specialists in numismatics, physics, metallurgy, minting, and statistics to search for answers. Researchers examined all four known silver examples using X-ray micro-diffraction technology at Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source synchrotron. After 437 hours of scanning, the team uncovered evidence of the original planchets beneath the coins’ designs.

“Our conclusions are predicated on science, statistical and observational analysis, and reverse engineering,” Rodriguez writes. “It is my hope that this book will further illuminate these legendary artifacts for the numismatic community.” Working with minting expert Dan Carr at Moonlight Mint, the team produced 112 experimental Continental Dollars in four metals under varying striking conditions.

Published by Whitman Brands, the illustrated book presents the research, scientific findings, and evidence supporting a reassessment of these historic pieces. The Continental Dollar is available through whitman.com, Amazon, eBay, bookstores, and other retailers.

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