<P> Greenbacks were paper currency ( printed in green on the back ) issued by the United States during the American Civil War . They were in two forms : Demand Notes , issued in 1861 -- 1862 , and United States Notes issued in 1862 -- 1865 . They were legal tender by law , but were not backed by gold or silver , only the credibility of the U.S. government . </P>
legal tender printed by the union during the civil war that was not backed by gold or silver
Greenbacks