United States coinage
Encyclopedia
United States coinage was first minted by the new republic in 1792. New coins have been produced every year since then and they make up a valuable aspect of the United States
currency system. Today circulating coins exist in denominations: $0.01, $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, and $1.00. Also minted are bullion
(including gold
, silver
and platinum
) and commemorative
coins. All of these are produced by the United States Mint
. The coins are then sold to Federal Reserve Bank
s which in turn are responsible for putting coins into circulation and withdrawing them as demanded by the country's economy
.
. The main mint is the Philadelphia Mint
, which produces circulating coinage, mint sets and some commemorative coins. The Denver Mint
also produces circulating coinage, mint sets and commemoratives. The San Francisco Mint
produces regular and silver proof coinage
, and produced circulating coinage until the 1970s. The West Point Mint
produces bullion coin
age (including proofs). Philadelphia and Denver produce the dies used at all of the mints. The proof and mint sets are manufactured each year and contain examples of all of the year's circulating coins.
The producing mint of each coin may be easily identified, as most coins bear a mint mark. The identifying letter of the mint can be found on the front side of most coins, and is often placed near the year. Unmarked coins are issued by the Philadelphia mint. Among marked coins, Philadelphia coins bear a letter P, Denver coins bear a letter D, San Francisco coins bear a letter S, New Orleans coins bear a letter O and West Point coins bear a letter W. S and W coins are rarely, if ever, found in general circulation, although S coins bearing dates prior to the mid-1970s are in circulation. CC and D mint marks were used for a short time in the early-to-mid-nineteenth century by temporary mints in Carson City, Nevada and Dahlonega, Georgia, respectively; all such coins are now in the hands of collectors and museums.
s have been produced each year since 1986. They can be found in silver
, gold
and also platinum
since 1997. The face value of these coins is legal as tender, but does not actually reflect the value of the precious metal contained therein. On 11 May 2011, Utah became the first state to accept these coins as the value of the precious metal in common transactions. The Utah State Treasurer assigns a numerical precious metal value to these coins each week based on the spot metal prices.
have been minted since 1982. An incomplete list is available here
.
Note: It is a common misconception that "eagle"-based nomenclature for gold U.S. coinage was merely slang. This is not the case. The "eagle," "half-eagle" and "quarter-eagle" were specifically given these names in the Coinage Act of 1792. Likewise, the double eagle was specifically created as such by name ("An Act to authorize the Coinage of Gold Dollars and Double Eagles", title and section 1, March 3, 1849).
Some modern commemorative coins have been minted in the silver dollar, half-eagle and eagle denominations.
See also US coin sizes, showing all major US coin series and scaled images in a single chart.
The law governing obsolete, mutilated, and worn coins and currency, including denominations which are no longer in production (i.e. Indian cents) can be found in .
and Susan B. Anthony
dollar coins, and the newer same sized Presidential $1 Coins. The sizes of the dime, quarter, and half dollar are holdovers from before 1965 when they were made from 90% silver
and 10% copper
; their sizes thus depended upon the amount of silver needed to equal the face value. The diameter of the current dollar coins was introduced in 1979 with the Susan B. Anthony dollar not only as a concession to the vending machine industry which wanted a smaller dollar coin usable in their machines but also as an increase in the amount of seigniorage
for the US Government (the difference between what a piece of money costs to produce and its face value or the profit margin).
The four coin types in common circulation today have not had their sizes or denominations changed in well over a century, although their weights have been reduced due to the substitution of cheaper metals in their manufacture. Because of their very low values with respect to current price levels, many cash customers do not tender coins at all when paying for purchases. Businesses usually have to keep adequate amounts in coin on hand, so as to be able to make change in fractional dollar amounts. Since they do not receive the coins they need through regular trade, there is often a one-way flow of coins from the banks to the retailers, who often have to pay fees for it.
Furthermore, apart from some dollar coins, U.S. coins do not indicate their value in numerals, but in English words, and the value descriptions do not follow a consistent pattern, referring to three different units, and expressions in fractions: "One Cent"; "Five Cents"; "One Dime"; "Quarter Dollar"; the values of the coins must be therefore be learned, as the inscription, like the size, does not provide sufficient information as to the relative value of each coin.
Some efforts have been made to eliminate the penny as circulating coinage, due to its low value.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
currency system. Today circulating coins exist in denominations: $0.01, $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, and $1.00. Also minted are bullion
Bullion coin
A bullion coin is a coin struck from precious metal and kept as a store of value or an investment, rather than used in day-to-day commerce. Investment coins are generally coins that have been minted after 1800, have a purity of not less than 900 thousandths and are or have been a legal tender in...
(including gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
) and commemorative
Commemorative coin
Commemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue. Most world commemorative coins were issued from the 1960s onward, although there are numerous examples of commemorative coins of earlier date. Such coins have a distinct design with reference to the...
coins. All of these are produced by the United States Mint
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
. The coins are then sold to Federal Reserve Bank
Federal Reserve Bank
The twelve Federal Reserve Banks form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. The twelve federal reserve banks together divide the nation into twelve Federal Reserve Districts, the twelve banking districts created by the Federal Reserve Act of...
s which in turn are responsible for putting coins into circulation and withdrawing them as demanded by the country's economy
Economy of the United States
The economy of the United States is the world's largest national economy. Its nominal GDP was estimated to be nearly $14.5 trillion in 2010, approximately a quarter of nominal global GDP. The European Union has a larger collective economy, but is not a single nation...
.
Current coinage
Today four mints operate in the United States producing billions of coins each yearUnited States Mint coin production
* In 1916, both the Mercury and Barber designs were used for the 10¢ coins.* In 1916, both the Standing Liberty and Barber designs were used for the 25¢ coins.* In 1921, both the Peace and Morgan designs were used for the $1 coins....
. The main mint is the Philadelphia Mint
Philadelphia Mint
The Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national mint a main priority after the ratification of the Constitution of...
, which produces circulating coinage, mint sets and some commemorative coins. The Denver Mint
Denver Mint
The Denver Mint is a branch of the United States Mint that struck its first coins on February 1, 1906. The mint is still operating and producing coins for circulation, as well as mint sets and commemorative coins. Coins produced at the Denver Mint bear a D mint mark...
also produces circulating coinage, mint sets and commemoratives. The San Francisco Mint
San Francisco Mint
The San Francisco Mint is a branch of the United States Mint, and was opened in 1854 to serve the gold mines of the California Gold Rush. It quickly outgrew its first building and moved into a new one in 1874. This building, the Old United States Mint, also known affectionately as The Granite Lady,...
produces regular and silver proof coinage
Proof coinage
Proof coinage means special early samples of a coin issue, historically made for checking the dies and for archival purposes, but nowadays often struck in greater numbers specially for coin collectors . Many countries now issue them....
, and produced circulating coinage until the 1970s. The West Point Mint
West Point Mint
The West Point Mint Facility was erected in 1937 near the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Originally it was called the West Point Bullion Depository. At one point it had the highest concentration of silver of any U.S. mint facility, and for 35 years produced circulating pennies...
produces bullion coin
Bullion coin
A bullion coin is a coin struck from precious metal and kept as a store of value or an investment, rather than used in day-to-day commerce. Investment coins are generally coins that have been minted after 1800, have a purity of not less than 900 thousandths and are or have been a legal tender in...
age (including proofs). Philadelphia and Denver produce the dies used at all of the mints. The proof and mint sets are manufactured each year and contain examples of all of the year's circulating coins.
The producing mint of each coin may be easily identified, as most coins bear a mint mark. The identifying letter of the mint can be found on the front side of most coins, and is often placed near the year. Unmarked coins are issued by the Philadelphia mint. Among marked coins, Philadelphia coins bear a letter P, Denver coins bear a letter D, San Francisco coins bear a letter S, New Orleans coins bear a letter O and West Point coins bear a letter W. S and W coins are rarely, if ever, found in general circulation, although S coins bearing dates prior to the mid-1970s are in circulation. CC and D mint marks were used for a short time in the early-to-mid-nineteenth century by temporary mints in Carson City, Nevada and Dahlonega, Georgia, respectively; all such coins are now in the hands of collectors and museums.
Coins in circulation
| Value | Image | Specifications | Description | Minted | Usage | Common Reference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obverse | Reverse | Diameter | Thickness | Mass | Composition | Edge | Obverse | Reverse | ||||
| $0.01 Cent (United States coin) The United States one-cent coin, commonly known as a penny, is a unit of currency equaling one one-hundredth of a United States dollar. The cent's symbol is ¢. Its obverse has featured the profile of President Abraham Lincoln since 1909, the centennial of his birth. From 1959 to 2008, the reverse... |
 |
19.00 mm | 1.55 mm | 1909-1982 3.11 g |
copper Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish... 95% tin Tin Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4... /zinc Zinc Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2... 5%1 |
Plain | Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and... |
Wheat Wheat Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice... |
1909–1958 | wide2 | Wheat Penny, Penny, Cent | |
 |
19.05 mm | Lincoln Memorial Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior... |
1959–2008 | wide | ||||||||
| see article: 2009 Redesign | 1982- present 2.50 g |
core: zinc Zinc Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2... 97.5% plating: copper Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish... 2.5%1 |
Lincoln bicentennial series | 2009 | ||||||||
| Union shield | 2010–present | |||||||||||
| $0.05 Nickel (United States coin) The nickel is a five-cent coin, representing a unit of currency equaling five hundredths of one United States dollar. A later-produced Canadian nickel five-cent coin was also called by the same name.... |
 |
 |
21.21 mm | 1.95 mm | 5.00 g | copper Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish... 75% nickel Nickel Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile... 25%3 |
Plain | Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia... |
Monticello Monticello Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is... |
1938–1942, 1946–2003 | wide | Nickel |
| see article: Westward Journey nickel | Westward Journey Series | 2004–2005 | ||||||||||
| |
 |
Monticello Monticello Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is... |
2006–present | |||||||||
| $0.10 Dime (United States coin) The dime is a coin 10 cents, one tenth of a United States dollar, labeled formally as "one dime". The denomination was first authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. The dime is the smallest in diameter and is the thinnest of all U.S... |
|
 |
17.91 mm | 1.35 mm | 2.268 g | copper Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish... 91.67% nickel Nickel Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile... 8.33%4 |
118 reeds | Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war... |
Torch, oak Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus... branch, olive branch Olive branch The olive branch in Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, symbolizes peace or victory and was worn by brides.-Ancient Greece and Rome:... |
1965–present | wide | Dime |
| $0.25 Quarter (United States coin) A quarter dollar, commonly shortened to quarter, is a coin worth ¼ of a United States dollar, or 25 cents. The quarter has been produced since 1796. The choice of 25¢ as a denomination, as opposed to 20¢ which is more common in other parts of the world, originated with the practice of dividing... |
 |
 |
24.26 mm | 1.75 mm | 5.67 g | 119 reeds | George Washington George Washington George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of... |
Bald Eagle Bald Eagle The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle... |
1965–1974, 1977–19985 | wide | Quarter | |
 |
Bicentennial United States bicentennial coinage The United States Bicentennial coinage was a set of circulating commemorative coins, consisting of a quarter, half dollar and dollar struck by the United States Mint in 1975 and 1976... colonial military drummer |
(1975) 19765 | ||||||||||
| |
See article: 50 State Quarters 50 State Quarters The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of circulating commemorative coins by the United States Mint. Between 1999 and 2008, it featured each of the 50 U.S. states on unique designs for the reverse of the quarter.... |
State Quarter Series 50 State Quarters The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of circulating commemorative coins by the United States Mint. Between 1999 and 2008, it featured each of the 50 U.S. states on unique designs for the reverse of the quarter.... |
1999–2008 | |||||||||
| See article: D.C. and U.S. Territories Quarters District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter Program The District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter Program was a one-year coin program of the United States Mint that saw quarters being minted in 2009 to honor the District of Columbia and the unincorporated United States insular areas of Puerto Rico, Guam, United States Virgin... |
D.C. and U. S. Territories Quarters District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter Program The District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarter Program was a one-year coin program of the United States Mint that saw quarters being minted in 2009 to honor the District of Columbia and the unincorporated United States insular areas of Puerto Rico, Guam, United States Virgin... |
2009 | ||||||||||
| See article: America the Beautiful Quarters | America the Beautiful Quarters | 2010–2021 | ||||||||||
| $0.50 Half dollar (United States coin) Half dollar coins have been produced nearly every year since the inception of the United States Mint in 1794. Sometimes referred to as the fifty-cent piece, the only U.S. coin that has been minted more consistently is the cent.-Circulation:... (rare) |
|
 |
30.61 mm | 2.15 mm | 11.34 g | 150 reeds | John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.... |
Seal of the President of the United States Seal of the President of the United States The Seal of the President of the United States is used to mark correspondence from the U.S. president to the United States Congress, and is also used as a symbol of the presidency. The central design, based on the Great Seal of the United States, is the official coat of arms of the U.S... surrounded by 50 stars |
1971–1974, 1977–present5 | limited6 | Half dollar, 50-cent piece | |
| Independence Hall | (1975) 19765 | |||||||||||
| $1 United States dollar coin Dollar coins have been minted in the United States in gold, silver, and base metal versions. The term silver dollar is often used for any large white metal coin issued by the United States with a face value of one dollar, although purists insist that a dollar is not silver unless it contains some... (rare) |
 |
 |
26.50 mm | 2.00 mm | 8.10 g | reeded | Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President... |
Apollo 11 Apollo 11 In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was... mission insignia |
1979–1981, 19998 | limited6 | SBA, Suzie B. | |
 |
26.50 mm | 2.00 mm | 8.10 g | copper Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish... 77% zinc Zinc Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2... 12% manganese Manganese Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals... 7% nickel Nickel Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile... 4% |
plain | Sacagawea Sacagawea Sacagawea ; was a Lemhi Shoshone woman, who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition, acting as an interpreter and guide, in their exploration of the Western United States... |
Bald Eagle in flight | 2000–2008 | Gold(en) dollar, Sacajawea | |||
| see article: Native American $1 Coin Act | Plain w/ incused inscriptions | Native American Themes | 2009–present | |||||||||
| see article: Presidential $1 Coin Program7 |  |
Each deceased president President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... |
Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886... |
2007–present | Gold(en) dollar | |||||||
Remarks
- The mass and composition of the cent changed to the current copper plated zinc core in 1982. Both types were minted in 1982 with no distinguishing mark. Cents minted in 1943 were struck on planchets punched from zinc coated steel which left the resulting edges uncoated. This caused many of these coins to rust. These "steel pennies"1943 steel centThe 1943 steel cent, also known as a steelie, was a variety of the U.S. one-cent coin which was struck in steel due to wartime shortages of copper. It was designed by Victor D...
are not likely to be found in circulation today, as they were later intentionally removed from circulation for destruction. - The wheat ear cent was mainstream during its time. Some dates are rare, but some can still be found in circulation.
- Nickels produced from mid-1942 through 1945 were manufactured from 56% copper, 35% silver and 9% manganese. This allowed the saved nickel metal to be shifted to industrial production of military supplies during World War II.
- Prior to 1965 and passage of the Coinage Act of 1965Coinage Act of 1965The Coinage Act of 1965, , eliminated silver from the circulating dimes and quarter dollars of the United States, and diminished the silver content of the half dollar from 90% to 40%...
the composition of the dime, quarter, half-dollar and dollar coins was 90% silver and 10% copper. The half-dollar continued to be minted in a 40% silver-clad composition between 1965 and 1970. Dimes and quarters from before 1965 and half-dollars from before 1971 are generally not in circulation due to being removed for their silverSilverSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
content. - In 1975 and 1976 bicentennial coinageUnited States bicentennial coinageThe United States Bicentennial coinage was a set of circulating commemorative coins, consisting of a quarter, half dollar and dollar struck by the United States Mint in 1975 and 1976...
was minted. Regardless of date of coining, each coin bears the dual date "1776-1976". The Quarter-Dollar, Half-Dollar and Dollar coins were issued in the copper 91.67% nickel 8.33% composition for general circulation and the Government issued 6-coin Proof Set. A special 3-coin set of 40% silver coins were also issued by the U.S. Mint in both Uncirculated and Proof. - Use of the Kennedy half-dollar, Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea dollars is not as widespread as that of other coins in general circulation; most Americans use quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies only. Coins are minted for general release through banks and other financial institutions, and are also available for collectors in uncirculated rolls, mint sets and proof sets from the United States Mint.
- The Presidential Dollar series features portraits of all deceased U.S. PresidentsPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
with four coin designs issued each year in the order of the president's inauguration date. These coins began circulating on February 15, 2007. - The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was minted from 1979–1981 and 1999. The 1999 minting was in response to Treasury supplies of the dollar becoming depleted and the inability to accelerate the minting of the Sacagawea dollars by a year. 1981 Anthony dollars can sometimes be found in circulation from proof sets that were broken open, but these dollars were not minted with the intent that they circulate.
Bullion coins
Non-circulating bullion coinBullion coin
A bullion coin is a coin struck from precious metal and kept as a store of value or an investment, rather than used in day-to-day commerce. Investment coins are generally coins that have been minted after 1800, have a purity of not less than 900 thousandths and are or have been a legal tender in...
s have been produced each year since 1986. They can be found in silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and also platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
since 1997. The face value of these coins is legal as tender, but does not actually reflect the value of the precious metal contained therein. On 11 May 2011, Utah became the first state to accept these coins as the value of the precious metal in common transactions. The Utah State Treasurer assigns a numerical precious metal value to these coins each week based on the spot metal prices.
| Type | Diameter | Fineness | Face Value | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Silver Eagle American Silver Eagle The American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the United States. It was first released by the United States Mint on November 24, 1986. It is struck only in the one-troy ounce size, which has a nominal face value of one dollar and is guaranteed to contain one troy ounce of 99.9%... |
40.6 mm | 999 fine silver | $1 | 1.00 troy ounce (~31.10 grams) |
| American Gold Eagle American Gold Eagle The American Gold Eagle is an official gold bullion coin of the United States. Authorized under the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, it was first released by the United States Mint in 1986.- Details :... |
16.5 mm 22.0 mm 27.0 mm 32.7 mm |
916 fine gold (22 karat Carat (purity) The karat or carat is a unit of purity for gold alloys.- Measure :Karat purity is measured as 24 times the purity by mass:where... ) |
$5 $10 $25 $50 |
0.10 ozt (~3.11 g) 0.25 ozt (~7.78 g) 0.50 ozt (~15.6 g) 1.00 ozt (~31.10 g) |
| American Platinum Eagle American Platinum Eagle The American Platinum Eagle is the official platinum bullion coin of the United States. The coins were first released by the United States Mint in 1997. It is offered in 1/10, 1/4, 1/2, and 1 troy oz varieties and consists of .9995 fine platinum... |
16.5 mm 22.0 mm 27.0 mm 32.7 mm |
999.5 fine platinum | $10 $25 $50 $100 |
0.10 ozt (~3.11 g) 0.25 ozt (~7.78 g) 0.50 ozt (~15.56 g) 1.00 ozt (~31.10 g) |
| American Buffalo American Buffalo (coin) The American Buffalo, also known as a gold buffalo, is a 24-karat bullion coin first offered for sale by the United States Mint on June 22, 2006, and available for shipment beginning on July 13. The coin follows the greatly admired design of the Indian Head nickel and has gained its nickname from... |
32.7 mm | 999.9 fine gold (24 karat) | $50 | 1.00 ozt (~31.10 g) |
| America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins The America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins comprise a series of silver bullion coins with a face value of a quarter dollar. The coins contain five troy ounces of silver making them the largest silver bullion coins ever issued by the United States Mint. The design of the coins duplicate... |
76.2 mm | 999 fine silver | 25¢ | 5.00 ozt (~155.5 g) |
Commemorative coins
Modern commemorativesUnited States commemorative coin
Commemorative coinage of the United States consists of coins that have been minted to commemorate a particular person, place, event, or institution. They are legal tender but are not intended for general circulation....
have been minted since 1982. An incomplete list is available here
Modern United States commemorative coins
The United States resumed minting commemorative coins in 1982 for the 250th anniversary of the birth of George Washington. Modern commemoratives tend to be restricted to events, buildings and personalities of national or international importance...
.
| Type | Total Weight | Diameter | Composition | Precious Metal Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Dollar | 11.34 g | 30.61 mm (1.205 in) | Cu Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish... 92%, Ni Nickel Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile... 8% |
none |
| Dollar | 26.73 g | 38.1 mm (1.5 in) | Ag Silver Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal... 90%, Cu 10% |
silver 24.057 g (~0.773 ozt) |
| Half Eagle | 8.539 g | 21.59 mm (0.85 in) | Au Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a... 90%, Ag 6%, Cu 4% |
gold 7.523 g (~0.2418 ozt) |
| Eagle | 16.718 g | 26.92 mm (1.06 in) | Au 90%, Ag 6%, Cu 4% | gold 15.05 g (~0.484 ozt) |
| First Spouse Eagle Bullion | 14.175 g | 26.49 mm (1.043 in) | Au 99.99% | gold 14.175 g (~0.456 ozt) |
Obsolete coins
Main article: Numismatic history of the United StatesNumismatic history of the United States
The numismatic history of the United States began with Colonial coins and paper money; most notably the foreign but widely accepted Spanish piece of eight , ultimately descended from the Joachimsthaler and the direct ancestor of the U.S. Dollar ....
- Mill, also called Tenth Cent or "Tax-Help Coins": $0.001, diverse materials - plastic, wood, tin, and others. These coins were unofficially issued up until the 1960s by some states, localities, and private businesses to pay taxes and to render change for small purchases.
- Half centHalf cent (United States coin)First authorized on April 2, 1792 , the half cent coin was produced in the United States from 1793-1857. The half-cent piece was made of 100% copper. It was slightly smaller than a modern U.S. quarter. Diameters are: 22 mm , 23.5 mm and 23 mm ., Coinage was discontinued by the Act...
: $0.005, copper, 1793–1857 - Large centLarge cent (United States coin)The United States large cent was a coin with a face value of 1/100 of a United States dollar. Its diameter varied between 27mm and 29mm. The first official mintage of the large cent was in 1793, and its production continued until 1857, when it was officially replaced by the modern-size one-cent...
: $0.01, copper, 1793–1857 - Steel cent1943 steel centThe 1943 steel cent, also known as a steelie, was a variety of the U.S. one-cent coin which was struck in steel due to wartime shortages of copper. It was designed by Victor D...
: $0.01, steel, 1943 - Two-cent pieceTwo-cent piece (United States coin)The two-cent coin was produced in the United States from 1864–1873 with decreasing mintages throughout that time. In terms of consumer price indexes, the 1864 coin would be comparable to $ in today's money....
: $0.02, copper, 1864–1873 - Three-cent pieceThree-cent piece (United States coin)The United States three cent piece was a unit of currency equaling 3/100th of a United States dollar. The mint produced two different three-cent coins: the three-cent silver and the three-cent nickel. Its purchasing power in 1851 would be equivalent to $ today.-History:The three cent coin has an...
: $0.03, silver, 1851–1873, and copper-nickel, 1865–1889 - Half dimeHalf dimeThe half dime, or half disme, was a silver coin, valued at five cents, formerly minted in the United States.Some numismatists consider the denomination to be the first coin minted by the United States Mint under the Coinage Act of 1792, with production beginning on or about July 1792...
(also known as half disme): $0.05, silver, 1792–1873 - Twenty-cent pieceTwenty-cent piece (United States coin)The United States twenty cent coin was a unit of currency equalling 1/5 of a United States dollar....
: $0.20, silver, 1875–1878 - Silver dollar: $1.00, silver (some modern commemoratives are minted in this denomination)
- Gold dollarGold dollarThe gold dollar was a United States dollar coin produced from 1849 to 1889. Composed of 90% pure gold, it was the smallest denomination of gold currency ever produced by the United States federal government...
: $1.00, gold, 1849–1889 - Quarter EagleQuarter EagleThe quarter eagle was a coin issued by the United States with a denomination of two hundred and fifty cents, or two dollars and fifty cents. It was given its name in the Coinage Act of 1792, as a derivation from the US ten-dollar eagle coin...
: $2.50, gold, 1792–1929 - Three-dollar pieceThree-dollar pieceThe three-dollar piece was a United States coin produced from 1854 to 1889. Its value was intended to tie in with the postal system. At the time, a first class postage stamp was worth 3¢, and such stamps were often sold in sheets of one hundred stamps. Therefore, the three-dollar piece was...
: $3.00, gold, 1854–1889 - StellaStella (United States coin)The United States four dollar coin, also officially called a Stella, is a unit of currency equivalent to four United States dollars.-History:...
: $4.00, gold (not circulated) - Half EagleHalf EagleThe Half Eagle is a United States coin that was produced for circulation from 1795 to 1929 and in commemorative and bullion coins since the 1980s. Composed almost entirely of gold, it has a face value of five dollars...
: $5.00, gold (some modern commemoratives are minted in this denomination) - EagleEagle (United States coin)The eagle is a base-unit of denomination issued only for gold coinage by the United States Mint. It has been obsolete as a circulating denomination since 1933. The eagle was the largest of the four main decimal base-units of denomination used for circulating coinage in the United States prior to...
: $10.00, gold (some modern commemoratives are minted in this denomination) - Double EagleDouble EagleA Double Eagle is a gold coin of the United States with a denomination of $20. . The coins are made from a 90% gold and 10% copper alloy....
: $20.00, gold, discontinued in the 1930s, minted again in 2009 - Half-unionHalf-unionThe Half-Union was a gold United States coin minted as a pattern in 1877 with a face value of fifty US Dollars, weighing roughly 2.5 ounces. It was designed by Chief Engraver of the Mint, William Barber, who also designed several other pattern coins and the famous Trade Dollar...
: $50.00 (Commemorative only), 1877 (pattern), 1915 (Panama–Pacific International Exposition coin)
Note: It is a common misconception that "eagle"-based nomenclature for gold U.S. coinage was merely slang. This is not the case. The "eagle," "half-eagle" and "quarter-eagle" were specifically given these names in the Coinage Act of 1792. Likewise, the double eagle was specifically created as such by name ("An Act to authorize the Coinage of Gold Dollars and Double Eagles", title and section 1, March 3, 1849).
Some modern commemorative coins have been minted in the silver dollar, half-eagle and eagle denominations.
See also US coin sizes, showing all major US coin series and scaled images in a single chart.
The law governing obsolete, mutilated, and worn coins and currency, including denominations which are no longer in production (i.e. Indian cents) can be found in .
Criticisms
For historical reasons the size of the coins does not increase with their face value. Both the one cent and the five cent are larger than the ten cent and the less common 50 cent coin is larger than the recent SacagaweaSacagawea
Sacagawea ; was a Lemhi Shoshone woman, who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition, acting as an interpreter and guide, in their exploration of the Western United States...
and Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President...
dollar coins, and the newer same sized Presidential $1 Coins. The sizes of the dime, quarter, and half dollar are holdovers from before 1965 when they were made from 90% silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and 10% copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
; their sizes thus depended upon the amount of silver needed to equal the face value. The diameter of the current dollar coins was introduced in 1979 with the Susan B. Anthony dollar not only as a concession to the vending machine industry which wanted a smaller dollar coin usable in their machines but also as an increase in the amount of seigniorage
Seigniorage
Seigniorage can have the following two meanings:* Seigniorage derived from specie—metal coins, is a tax, added to the total price of a coin , that a customer of the mint had to pay to the mint, and that was sent to the sovereign of the political area.* Seigniorage derived from notes is more...
for the US Government (the difference between what a piece of money costs to produce and its face value or the profit margin).
The four coin types in common circulation today have not had their sizes or denominations changed in well over a century, although their weights have been reduced due to the substitution of cheaper metals in their manufacture. Because of their very low values with respect to current price levels, many cash customers do not tender coins at all when paying for purchases. Businesses usually have to keep adequate amounts in coin on hand, so as to be able to make change in fractional dollar amounts. Since they do not receive the coins they need through regular trade, there is often a one-way flow of coins from the banks to the retailers, who often have to pay fees for it.
Furthermore, apart from some dollar coins, U.S. coins do not indicate their value in numerals, but in English words, and the value descriptions do not follow a consistent pattern, referring to three different units, and expressions in fractions: "One Cent"; "Five Cents"; "One Dime"; "Quarter Dollar"; the values of the coins must be therefore be learned, as the inscription, like the size, does not provide sufficient information as to the relative value of each coin.
Some efforts have been made to eliminate the penny as circulating coinage, due to its low value.
External links
- United States Mint
- United States Virtual Coin Museum
- Page of 1792 Mint and Coinage Act (Describes the first completely regulated U.S. coinage system.)
- Complete US Coin Histories By year and type.
- U.S. Coin webpage