Revolutionary War Currency In 1779 the Continental Congress authorized the issuance of paper currency, including this $4 bill. The congress backed up these notes with either gold or silver to encourage their acceptance. The insignia on the front shows a wild boar charging into a spear with the motto Aut mors aut vita decora (Either death or an honorable life). Reproduced from the original held by the Department of Special Collections of the University Libraries of Notre Dame