Daily AncestorGreenback
Greenback was the popular name for U.S. government paper money first issued in 1861 to pay for the Civil War, named for the green ink on the back.
In 1861 Congress authorized the Treasury to issue Demand Notes, which earned the nickname greenbacks for their color. In 1862 a new class followed, United States notes or Legal Tender notes, which circulated until 1971.
According to the Treasury's currency education program, all U.S. currency issued since 1861 remains valid at full face value. In the South, Confederate notes were nicknamed graybacks to tell them apart.
As seen in a recordReceipt in an estate file, 1860s
Recd. of the administrator $150 in greenbacks
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Greenback." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/money-measures/greenback. Last checked 2026-10-03.