An ancestor who loaned money to the Continental government during the American Revolution would be considered to have “patriotic service” by the Sons of the American Revolution or the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The Daughters of the American Revolution has begun digitizing records of the loans made from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. To view them, visit the “Patriot Records Index” in the Genealogical Research System. The online images cannot be printed or saved, although a copy can be requested using this form.
Happy hunting!