Answer:
It's complicated.
Explanation:
In 1777, a Continental dollar wouldn't get a person very far. There was no government backing them, so essentially they amounted to an IOU dependent on the success of some angry colonists against an empire. Many merchants were understandably not interested in these, which caused problems for the revolutionary forces.
By 1781, there was a government backing Continental dollars, and so they had some definite value. Unfortunately, the United States had accumulated a considerable national debt in an era where national debt was severely frowned upon. While they functioned as a suitable internal currency, the international market was still suspicious. (This is one of the reasons Alexander Hamilton supported and created a national bank, at least until Jackson dismantled it during his presidency.)
Hopefully this helps somewhat!
