A need for a currency

June 22nd, 1775

"We need money to finance this new army!" Someone shouted "money we don't have!" they added.

The room filled with affirmative grunts of those who agreed and the snorts of others.

"It doesn't matter how you look at it, gentleman." I said, my voice filling the large courthouse the continental congress was delegating in.

"Yes, these men believe in the cause for liberty just like the rest of you." I continued as I stood to my feet for all to see.

"But you cannot feed yourself and your family with just a cause." I said, turning to look at the filled room.

"I may have what seems to all of you, like an infinite amount of money." I said, getting a few chuckles from those who knew of me.

"But that is far from the truth." I lied.

"Even if all of us here put every last coin we had together, we could not pay for the weapons and supplies needed to support the army for more than a few months." I said, turning to look at George Washington, who was currently seated off to the side of the room.

"General Washington. How much will it cost us to fund the army every month?" I asked the infamous figure.

General Washington sat for a moment as he pondered my words.

Then, standing to his feet, he glanced over the room for a quick moment before responding.

"It depends." The General said in his deep voice.

"Without any unforeseen needs, it could be 300,000 Spanish silver." He said, pausing for a moment to let that massive number sink in for all in the room.

"But undoubtedly, there will be unforeseen needs." The General continued.

"So to be safe, I would estimate it to be 500,000 Spanish silver a month."

As soon as the General finished speaking, the room exploded with overlapping shouts as he sat back down.

"Quiet in the room!" John Hancock shouted over the loud frenzy in the room while he slammed his gavel on his table.

Quickly, the room fell to a simmer as he banged his gavel once more to silence the room.

As all of this happened, I continued to stand, signifying my wish to continue speaking.

"Mister Gottes." John Hancock said as he looked at me.

"Please continue to your point." He said as he waved a hand for me to continue.

I nodded my head.

"So the question is…where are we to get the needed funds for the continental army?" I said, turning to look at the room once again.

Pausing just long enough to get everyone slightly annoyed.

"We create it." I said simply.

Once again, the room exploded.

"That is ludicrous!"

"Have you gone mad!"

"Insanity!"

The voices filled the room once again.

"Again, quite, Gentlemen!" John Hancock yelled over the voices as he banned his gavel.

This time, it took a few minutes to quiet the room.

So, I used the time to take a few gulps of water to wet my parched mouth.

"I will not have another outburst, gentlemen." John Hancock said as he pointed at the tables seated in front of him, which sat the delegates.

"We must hear each other's words and let them finish speaking before we start disagreeing with them." He said before looking at me again.

"Please continue."

"I know what most of you are thinking." I said with a smile.

"That it won't work. We don't have the coin to back the paper money. People won't trust the money." I said, using air quotes.

"Which are all reasonable worries." I continued.

"But I believe I know someone who would be more than happy to back the paper money." I said.

"And who would that be?" Benjamin Franklin said, from the table beside me.

I again paused for a moment as I let them all guess.

"The bank head of Greingotts."

Every man in the room stood to their feet as I said those words.

I didn't wait for John Hancock to quiet the group and instead shouted over them.

"I have even gone so far as to already invite him here, as soon as the prospect of printing paper money arose!"

But before they had time to explode once again, the doors at the back of the large room were pushed open, revealing the current New York bank head, Friedrich Wilhelm Schmidt.

Every man in the room was startled at his abrupt appearance as well as the large size of the man himself.

Friedrich was still as massive as ever, but the gray hairs were more prevalent in his bushy beard.

Striding with confident strides, Friedrich made his way to the front of the room, Nodding his head at John Hancock, who sat behind his desk in shock and astonishment, that someone of such standing would even be interested in such matters.

"Good evening, sir." Frederick said as he stood in front of the still seated John.

"uh…Good evening." John said, startledly standing to his feet, finally getting himself back together.

The two shook hands and had a quick whispered conversation.

"And how did you manage that, Adam?" Samuel Adams asked from beside me.

Turning in my chair to look at him, I touched my nose.

"That, my friend, is a secret." I said with a chuckle as he rolled his eyes.

"You truly think he will help us with your hair brain idea." John Adams asked as he leaned on the table to look around his cousin at me.

I smirked at his words.

"that I do." I said with a smug smile. "call it intuition."

Turning back to the front of the room, I watched as Friedrich and John Hancock separated from their whispered conversation.

"Attention!" John shouted over the hum of the room.

Quickly, the room silenced as everyone present wanted to see what would come next.

Stepping in front of his desk to stand next to the towering, Friedrich, John spoke.

"It has come to my attention that just the presence of Mister Friedrich." John said as he gestured at Friedrich. "could cause massive problems for the bank if his presence were to be revealed to the masses that he, a member of the Greingotts bank, was here." John said as he looked the room over.

"We all know of the inability to transport their goods to our docks because of the pressure placed on them by the English Crown." John said, as grunts and words of affirmation filled the room.

"Then all of you know that just him being here could cause a conflict between the Crown and Greingotts that would best be avoided "

Again, the room filled with words and grunts of affirmation.

"So it is of the utmost importance that word of his presence does not leave this room until after we come up with a possible solution." John said, with steel in his voice.

Again, the room filled with noise.

John turned to Friedrich and nodded before stepping behind his large desk again to allow Friedrich to start speaking.

"Good evening, gentlemen." Friedrich said, his lightly accented deep voice filling the room.

"I have come here at the request of a good friend of mine." Friedrich said, gesturing to me.

"Mister Gottes. He has told me of the need to finance your new continental army." Friedrich said.

"And that the idea of a paper currency has arisen in the discussions." He continued.

"Which I must say is a good idea…although, it is very easy to mess up."

For the rest of the day, the discussion revolved around how we would print the money, ways to keep the money from decreasing, and to keep inflation from occurring.

By the end of the day, we came up with a plan.

The continental congress would give Gringotts the right to print continental paper money.

Which would be backed by actual hard gold, silver, and copper coins from Gringotts.

That could be exchanged for the paper currencies coin value at Gringotts.

Allowing the new currency of America to be stable and avoid the over printing of the new money.

Later that day, when the sun was starting to set, I had finally reached my home that I had bought here in Philadelphia.

The home was a two story red brick home that had windows on top and bottom, as well as a chimney on the side.

Stepping inside, I started my daily tasks of lighting the house and then starting dinner.

Of course, I could have had a servant do all of this for me, like a butler or a maid.

But that would be so boring.

To spend all my eternity having someone else do everything for me would defeat the purpose of enjoying life for me.

Because I didn't want my life to be 'easy',

Instead, I wanted the challenges of everyday life to fully immerse myself in.

As I finished roasting a large turkey on a metal spit that was bolted into the stone on the large fireplace in the kitchen, I heard the loud banging on the front door of my home.

Moving quickly, I put the turkey on a plate and set it on the island table that sat in the middle of the kitchen before I made my way to the front.

Reaching the front door, I turned the metal knob and saw my guests for the night.

"Ah. Good evening, Samuel." I said with a large smile as he stood in front of me.

"you as well, old friend." He responded as we shook hands.

Standing behind him was his cousin John and the one and only George Washington, with two guards.

"Good evening, gentlemen." I said, as I let Samuel pass me and shook the other men's hands, including the guards.

After they were all inside, I spoke again.

"The food is nearly done, so if you would like, over there is my study where you can read a book, or have a glass of good brandy while you wait." I said as I turned and headed back to the kitchen at the other side of the house.

"You cook your own meals?" Samuel asked.

Turning to look at him, I raised a brow.

"Of course. Who else would?" I asked with a chuckle before turning to leave again.

As I stood in the kitchen, I lost myself in the preparation of the food, while I listened to the conversations of the men as they walked around my study.

"good god!" John said as I heard his feet come to an abrupt halt.

"Look at this, Samuel! It's the entire collection of the first folio by Shakespeare." I heard John say before the quick footsteps of Samuel.

"It is!" Samuel said.

"I have never seen a full collection before." He added.

For minutes, they continued to go around my study, looking at all of the interesting books that stuffed the floor to ceiling bookcases.

But eventually, they came to an ornate looking box that had glass on all sides.

"What is that?" John asked as he bent over to look inside.

"It is a sword." The deep voice of George said.

"But look at the design of it. Have you ever seen such craftsmanship?" John asked.

"no…I haven't. It must have been made by a master of their trade." George continued on.

The blade they were looking at was one of my own designs.

I named it Excalibur.

It was a Templar sword with a gold guard.

Running all the way from the tip to the hilt of the sword, there were intricate patterns I carved into the blade on both sides.

"What does the plaque say?" Samuel asked.

"I don't have my spectacles." He added.

"It says…Excalibur!" George said, and for the first time since I met him, sounding anything but completely calm.

"do you believe.." John asked, confused.

"I highly doubt it, John," Samuel said with a chuckle.

"Those are just kids' stories. Make believe."

"He is correct. This sword is most likely a creation of the fictional blade." George said.

"After all…the original was supposedly returned to the lady of the lake." He added with a chuckle.

By this point, I had already set the large oak table I had in my dining room.

Stepping into my study, I saw all three of them still huddled around the sword.

"The food is ready." I said from behind them, startling all of them, including the guards that stood by the entrance of the study.

All of them collected themselves quickly before following me into the dining room.

"I set a plate for the both of you as well." I said to the two guards.

After a few more minutes, when we were all seated with glasses of 50 year old wine in hand, we started the night's discussion.

"So, Adam." Samuel said as he took a sip of the red wine.

"What was this document you spoke of?" He continued.

I leaned forward and crossed my fingers together as I looked at all of them before I spoke.

"it's called…a declaration of independence."

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