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America was not built in a straight line.It was built through arguments about power, money, and trust. This podcast tells the story of the United States through the forces that shaped it beneath the surface: currency, credit, debt, and the systems people argued over long before the outcomes were clear. Instead of memorizing dates and battles, we follow the economic and political choices that quietly defined who benefited, who paid the price, and why the nation developed the way it did. From the fight between Hamilton and Jefferson, to the rise and fall of early national banks, to gold rushes that turned frontiers into financial centers, each episode explores how Americans tried to turn ideals into institutions. How paper promises competed with hard money. How regional economies grew apart even as the country claimed unity. And how decisions made in moments of uncertainty echoed for generations. This is not a story about heroes or villains. It’s a story about systems, incentives, and unintended consequences. The series moves from the founding era to the modern age, showing how debates over money and power never really ended, only changed form. Every crisis, boom, panic, and reform is part of the same ongoing argument about who controls value and what a nation owes its people. If you want to understand why America works the way it does today, you have to understand how it learned to pay its bills, trust its currency, and fight over who held the keys. This is American history, told through the economics that made it real.

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Check latest episodes from Coins, Currency & American History podcast

Ep. 35 – America's 250th and Semiquincentennial Coinage

2026/09/25

Two hundred and fifty years after the Declaration of Independence, the United States Mint told the story of America’s journey to liberty on the nation’s coinage. Dual dates, new designs and special privy marks… even unexpected production errors. For collectors, the result is a rich, one-year series that rewards close study. For the wider public it is a reminder of America’s founding principles. The coins of 2026 stand as both historical markers and living currency – tangible links between 1776 and the United States’ Semiquincentennial. They invite us to look back on our origins… on the people and events that shaped the nation. They are truly pieces of history we can hold in our hands… Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 34 – Fiat Currency Backed by the Future

2026/09/11

For most of American history, silver or gold stood behind the coins and currency notes people used every day. That link stretched back to the Coinage Act of 1792 and survived, in changing forms, until the early 1970s. But in August of 1971, the final formal connection to gold ended. From that point forward, the United States dollar rested on something less tangible and more continuous: the combination of the productive capacity of the American economy… the government’s power to tax… and the public’s willingness to accept the currency in everyday transactions. Economists and officials described the dollar as backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Or, to put it another way, American currency was backed by the future – by the ongoing ability of the nation to produce, to trade and to meet its obligations... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 33 – Cryptocurrencies Challenge the Fiat System

2026/08/21

The autumn of 2008 felt unsettled. Bear Stearns had collapsed in March. In September, the fall of Lehman Brothers triggered a full-blown financial crisis. The government scrambled to enact emergency measures. For many, confidence in traditional financial institutions was shaken. Then, on October 31, 2008, a short, nine-page document was published titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” And it described a new form of electronic money – one that would operate without banks or central authorities, and without the need to trust any single institution. It was a radical idea, offered at a moment when the old system was under visible strain. And it would challenge the financial fabric of the world... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 32 – Booms, Busts and COVID Reglobalization

2026/08/14

The 1990s arrived with a burst of optimism. After the uncertainties of previous decades, the United States stepped into a new era of technological promise and economic expansion. And for many Americans, it felt like prosperity was not only possible but almost inevitable. Yet beneath that sense of momentum lay seeds of volatility. The decade would test the resilience of markets, institutions and everyday citizens in profound ways. And through it all, the coins and currency in our pockets continued to tell their own quiet stories of adaptation and change... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 31 – 1970s Stagflation and the '80s Finance Boom

2026/08/07

The 1970s opened with a sense of promise. But soon enough, familiar comforts started to slip away. Gas lines stretched for blocks. Prices climbed higher week after week. And the steady growth that defined the previous decades suddenly felt uncertain. But then came the 1980s. The economy recovered, then boomed – but so did the national debt. It was a time when the rules of money seemed to change. And United States coinage reflected those shifts in quiet but telling ways... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 30 – The Postwar Boom and Suburban Capitalism

2026/07/24

After four years of fighting and rationing, Americans were tired. But finally, World War II was over. Millions of men and women serving overseas returned home to both celebrations and new challenges. And a new generation of Americans, Baby Boomers, was born. In the decades that followed, the nation faced new challenges and a new Cold War. But the economy was booming. The United States reached new heights – literally – with NASA and the Apollo space program. All while twin economic forces reshaped the American landscape... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 29 – World War II, Bretton Woods and a New World Currency

2026/07/17

The United States entered World War II in December of 1941. Across Europe and Asia, air and ground combat were ravaging farms and factories. Consumer goods were rationed. War production defined the global economy. Even the U.S. Mint joined the war effort. Coins were struck in silver and steel to save copper and nickel for munitions and other military equipment. While the Bureau of Engraving and Printing issued special emergency currency notes to stop the enemy from using captured American money. And the war would bring other monetary changes – including a new world reserve currency... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 28 – The Great Depression, The New Deal and Managed Capitalism

2026/07/10

The crash came in late October of 1929. Stock prices plunged. Fortunes evaporated. The Roaring Twenties gave way to the Great Depression. Out of its depths emerged one of the most ambitious experiments in American economics. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal reshaped the relationship between government, business and everyday citizens. It was the birth of managed capitalism in the United States. And through it all, the nation’s coins and currency told their own quiet story of upheaval and adaptation... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 27 – The Roaring Twenties: Credit, Culture and Consumerism

2026/07/03

The Roaring Twenties were a transformative era in American history. From flappers, speakeasies and shifting societal norms to rapid industrial growth and revolutions in personal finance, America was changing fast. Installment buying and consumer credit surged in popularity as people across the nation embraced a new, modern way of life. But beneath the glamour of the Jazz Age, even bigger changes were on the horizon… Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 26 – World War I and the End of Isolation

2026/06/26

History remembers World War I for trench warfare, alliances, and fallen empires. But it also showed factories and financial strength could shape events in ways armies and navies alone could not. And it forced the United States to decide what kind of country it would become in a connected world. America had long preferred distance and isolation. But modern industry and credit made separation harder to maintain. The nation found itself drawn onto the global stage. And it rose to the occasion, changing the world’s balance of power forever... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 25 – Teddy Roosevelt and the Meaning of Prosperity

2026/06/19

America had become a nation of abundance. Wages climbed. Prices fell. New inventions were everywhere. For the first time, many could afford modern tools and conveniences. But what should all that prosperity serve? The question was asked by writers... naturalists... working Americans... and one energetic president who felt a nation needs more than comfort and commerce... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 24 – Ford and the Driveway Industrial Revolution

2026/06/12

In the early twentieth century, America was already a powerhouse of factories and production. But for most families, that industrial strength was hidden behind the walls of giant plants in places like Pittsburgh and Detroit. Until one man reshaped how the country worked, spent, and moved... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 23 – The Spanish-American War

2026/06/05

By the 1890s, the United States filled its own continent and began to look beyond its shores. And when the battleship Maine exploded in Havana harbor in February 1898, Congress declared war on Spain. The conflict lasted only a few months, but its effects reached far into the new century... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 22 – The Gilded Age: When Capital Outgrew Money

2026/05/29

The end of Reconstruction left the future of the United States wide open. Historians would later call this period the Gilded Age. And for the first time since independence, Americans stopped measuring themselves against Europe. They started competing with it... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.

Ep. 21 – The Lost Cause and Reconstruction

2026/05/22

The Civil War had ended. Reconstruction brought the Southern states back into the Union. Yet for many in the South, the wounds lingered. They searched for a way to make sense of defeat and move forward with a measure of dignity. And their search gave to what would become known as The Lost Cause... Presented by Littleton Coin Company. Visit us online at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com Are you a collector? Shop one of the largest inventories of coins, paper money & collecting supplies at https://www.LittletonCoin.com New to Collecting? Check out Littleton's FREE Coin Collecting Learn Center at: https://www.LittletonCoin.com/Learn Want more fun facts about coins & currency? Check out Littleton's popular Heads & Tails Blog at: https://blog.LittletonCoin.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littletoncoincompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/littletoncoincompany/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittletonCoinCoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littletoncoin/X: https://twitter.com/LittletonCoinLittleton Coin Company Serving Collectors Since 1945 Copyright © 2026 LCC, Inc.