Top row: Sacagawea Dollar, Lincoln Cent, and Roosevelt Dime.
Bottom row: Kennedy Half Dollar and Westward Journey Series Jefferson Nickels

2005 State Quarters: California, Minnesota, Oregon, Kansas, and West Virginia

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 and commemorative coins. All of these are produced by the United States Mint. The coins are then sold to Federal Reserve Banks which in turn are responsible for putting coins into circulation and withdrawing them as demanded by the country's economy. Image File history File links Summary Proof versions of current 2005 United States coinage Top row: Sacagawea dollar coin, Lincoln cent, Roosevelt dime Bottom row: Kennedy half dollar, Westard Journey Series Jefferson nickels Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert... Image File history File links Summary Proof versions of current 2005 United States coinage Top row: Sacagawea dollar coin, Lincoln cent, Roosevelt dime Bottom row: Kennedy half dollar, Westard Journey Series Jefferson nickels Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert... ImageMetadata File history File links Summary Proof versions of the 50 State Quarters Designs: California - John Muir, California Condor, Half Dome and Yosemite Valley Minnesota - State motto, Land of 10,000 lakes, people in a boat fishing, and Loon Oregon - Crater Lake Kansas - State animal and flower: Buffalo and Sunflower... ImageMetadata File history File links Summary Proof versions of the 50 State Quarters Designs: California - John Muir, California Condor, Half Dome and Yosemite Valley Minnesota - State motto, Land of 10,000 lakes, people in a boat fishing, and Loon Oregon - Crater Lake Kansas - State animal and flower: Buffalo and Sunflower... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... This is a list of bullion coins in circulation: Gold coin Silver coin Platinum coin Palladium coin This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Commemorative coins are legally issued coins with a denomination that are not usually meant for circulation. ... Seal of the U.S. Mint The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. ... Federal Reserve Districts The United States Federal Reserve System consists of twelve Federal Reserve Banks, each responsible for a particular district, and some with branches. ...

Current coinage

Today four mints operate in the United States producing billions of coins each year. 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. The West Point Mint produces bullion coinage (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. These and the other non-circulating coins can be purchased directly from the US Mint.
The Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce. ... The Denver Mint The Denver Mint is a branch of the United States Mint established in 1862 that is today operational and produces coins for circulation, as well as mint sets and commemorative coins. ... 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. ... A beautiful example of a proof coin. ... The West Point Mint Facility was erected in 1937, near the U.S. Military Academy in New York State. ... A coin die is one of the two metallic pieces that are used to strike one side of a coin. ...

Coins in circulation

U.S. Lincoln Wheat penny (reverse) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Lincoln Wheat Ears Cent (sometimes referred to as a Wheat penny) was a United States one-cent coin produced from 1909 to 1958. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Standard atomic weight 118. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Standard atomic weight 65. ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (727x744, 1067 KB) Source United States Mint Date 2006-04-06 Author United States Mint Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cent (United States coin) Cent... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (746x742, 988 KB) Source United States Mint Date 2006-04-06 Author United States Mint Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cent (United States coin) Portal... The United States one-cent coin, commonly called a penny, is a unit of currency equaling one-hundredth of a United States dollar. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Standard atomic weight 65. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... The monument, which is on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential Memorial built to honor 16th President Abraham Lincoln. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1523x1500, 492 KB) Summary Obtained from the U.S. Mint. ... U.S. nickel reverse (public domain from usmint. ... The United States five-cent coin, commonly called a nickel, is a unit of currency equaling one-twentieth, or five hundredths, of a United States dollar. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nickel, Ni, 28 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 4, d Appearance lustrous, metallic and silvery with a gold tinge Standard atomic weight 58. ... Thomas Jefferson (13 April 1743 N.S.–4 July 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801–09), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the United States. ... Monticello, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, the third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia. ... The United States five-cent coin, commonly called a nickel, is a unit of currency equaling one-twentieth, or five hundredths, of a United States dollar. ... The United States five-cent coin, commonly called a nickel, is a unit of currency equaling one-twentieth, or five hundredths, of a United States dollar. ... The United States five-cent coin, commonly called a nickel, is a unit of currency equaling one-twentieth, or five hundredths, of a United States dollar. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1978x1980, 2138 KB) Source United States Mint Date 2006-04-06 Author United States Mint Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Thomas Jefferson Nickel (United States... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1978x1980, 2073 KB) Source United States Mint Date 2006-04-06 Author United States Mint Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Nickel (United States coin) Gallery... The United States five-cent coin, commonly called a nickel, is a unit of currency equaling one-twentieth, or five hundredths, of a United States dollar. ... Monticello, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, the third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (738x734, 473 KB) The reverse of a 2005 United States dime. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1283x1272, 1418 KB) Source United States Mint Date 2006-04-06 Author United States Mint Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Dime (United States coin) Gallery... The dime is a coin worth ten cents, or one tenth of a United States dollar. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nickel, Ni, 28 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 4, d Appearance lustrous, metallic and silvery with a gold tinge Standard atomic weight 58. ... FDR redirects here. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus (from Latin oak tree), and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... Olive branch Olive branch is a colloquial term referring to a concession or a gesture of peace, as well as a peace symbol. ... Download high resolution version (706x688, 98 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A quarter is a coin worth one-quarter of a United States dollar, or 25 cents. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 609 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (2198 × 2162 pixel, file size: 4. ... Quarter bicentennial reverse Half dollar bicentennial reverse Dollar bicentennial reverse All quarter, half dollar and dollar coins produced by the United States Mint during the years 1975 and 1976 bore special designs on their reverse, commemorating the 200th anniversary (bicentennial) of the independence of the United States. ... Quarter bicentennial reverse Half dollar bicentennial reverse Dollar bicentennial reverse All quarter, half dollar and dollar coins produced by the United States Mint during the years 1975 and 1976 bore special designs on their reverse, commemorating the 200th anniversary (bicentennial) of the independence of the United States. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 609 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1106 × 1089 pixel, file size: 953 KB, MIME type: image/png) Source United States Mint Date 2006-04-06 Author United States Mint Permission see below File links The following pages on the English... Obverse of redesigned quarter The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. ... Obverse of redesigned quarter The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. ... Obverse of redesigned quarter The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1180x1180, 1281 KB) Source United States Mint Date 2006-04-06 Author United States Mint Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Half dollar (United States coin... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 605 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1139 × 1129 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Half Dollar of the United States has been produced nearly every year since the inception of the United States Mint in 1794. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, Kennedy, John Kennedy, Jack Kennedy, or JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of the United States. ... A Secret Service agent placing the seal on the presidents podium. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Quarter bicentennial reverse Half dollar bicentennial reverse Dollar bicentennial reverse All quarter, half dollar and dollar coins produced by the United States Mint during the years 1975 and 1976 bore special designs on their reverse, commemorating the 200th anniversary (bicentennial) of the independence of the United States. ... Independence Hall is a U.S. national landmark located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets. ... United States dollar coin (Sacagawea). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x881, 160 KB)The reverse of a United States dollar coin. ... The Sacagawea dollar, along with the Presidential Dollar series, is one of the two current United States dollar coins. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Standard atomic weight 65. ... General Name, Symbol, Number manganese, Mn, 25 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 7, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 54. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nickel, Ni, 28 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 4, d Appearance lustrous, metallic and silvery with a gold tinge Standard atomic weight 58. ... Sacagawea (Sakakawea, Sacajawea, Suckajewea; see below) (c. ... Reverse of Presidential dollar coin The Presidential $1 Coin Program is part of an Act of Congress, Pub. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2000x2000, 2324 KB)Newer version to replace Image:LineartPresRev. ... Reverse of Presidential dollar coin The Presidential $1 Coin Program is part of an Act of Congress, Pub. ... For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Liberty Enlightening the World (French: La liberté éclairant le monde), known more commonly as the Statue of Liberty (Statue de la Liberté), is a large statue that was presented to the United States by France in 1886. ...

Remarks

1. The mass and composition of the penny changed to the current copper plated zinc core in 1982. Both types were minted in 1982 with no distinguishing mark. Pennies minted in 1943 were struck on zinc coated steel cores, but are not found in circulation today.
2. Wheat ear pennies were mainstream during its time. They are now rare, but findable in circulation.
3. Dimes and quarters from before 1965 and half-dollars from before 1971 generally don't remain in circulation due to being removed for their silver content. The half-dollar retained a lower silver content between 1965 and 1970.
4. In 1975 and 1976 bicentennial coinage was minted. Regardless of date of coining, each coin bears the dual date "1776-1976".
5. Use of the Kennedy half-dollar and Sacagawea dollar is not as widespread as that of other coins in general circulation. 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.
6. The Presidential Dollar series will feature portraits of all deceased U.S. Presidents with four coin designs issued each year in the order of the president's inauguration date. These coins began circulating on February 15, 2007.

General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Standard atomic weight 107. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Quarter bicentennial reverse Half dollar bicentennial reverse Dollar bicentennial reverse All quarter, half dollar and dollar coins produced by the United States Mint during the years 1975 and 1976 bore special designs on their reverse, commemorating the 200th anniversary (bicentennial) of the independence of the United States. ... For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Bullion coins

Non-circulating bullion coins 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 symbolic and does not actually reflect the value of the precious metal contained therein. A precious metal is a rare metallic element of high, durable economic value. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Standard atomic weight 107. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Standard atomic weight 196. ... General Name, Symbol, Number platinum, Pt, 78 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 6, d Appearance grayish white Standard atomic weight 195. ...

The American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the United States. ... The American Gold Eagle is the official bullion gold coin of the United States. ... Carat is a measure of the purity of gold and platinum alloys. ... The American Platinum Eagle is the official platinum bullion coin of the United States. ... The American Buffalo is a 24 karat gold bullion coin first released by the United States Mint in June 2006. ...

Commemorative coins

Modern commemoratives have been minted since 1982. A complete list is available: Modern United States commemorative coins. Commemorative coinage of the United States consists of coins that have been minted to commemorate a particular event, person or organization. ... // Half dollars George Washington - 1982 Statue of Liberty - 1986 Congress - 1989 Mount Rushmore Golden Anniversary - 1991 XXV Olympiad - 1992 Christopher Columbus Quincentenary - 1992 Bill of Rights - 1993 World War II 50th anniversary - (1993)1991–1995 1994 World Cup tournament - 1994 Civil War battlefields - 1995 Centennial Olympic Games - 1995–1996 Capitol...

General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nickel, Ni, 28 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 4, d Appearance lustrous, metallic and silvery with a gold tinge Standard atomic weight 58. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Standard atomic weight 107. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Standard atomic weight 196. ...

Obsolete coins and denominations

• Half cent: $0.005, copper
• Large Cent: $0.01, copper
• Two-cent piece: $0.02, copper
• Three-cent piece: $0.03, silver and copper/nickel
• Half dime: $0.05, silver
• Twenty-cent piece: $0.20, silver
• Silver dollar: $1.00, silver (some modern commemoratives are minted in this denomination)
• Gold dollar: $1.00, gold
• Quarter-eagle: $2.50, gold
• Three-dollar piece: $3.00, gold
• Stella: $4.00, gold (not circulated)
• Half-eagle: $5.00, gold (some modern commemoratives are minted in this denomination)
• Eagle: $10.00, gold (some modern commemoratives are minted in this denomination)
• Double eagle: $20.00, gold
• Fifty-dollar coin or "Half-union" (Commemorative only, California territorial gold, pattern piece)

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). The half-cent coin was produced in the United States from 1793-1857. ... The United States large cent was a coin with a face value of 1/100 of a United States dollar. ... The two-cent coin was produced in the United States from 1864-1873 with decreasing mintages throughout that time. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The half dime was a silver coin, valued at five cents, formerly minted in the United States. ... The United States twenty cent coin (often called a twenty cent piece) was a unit of currency equaling 1/5th of a United States dollar. ... Dollar coins have been minted in the United States in gold, silver and base metal versions. ... The gold dollar was a United States dollar coin produced from 1849 to 1889. ... The Quarter Eagle was authorized by the Act of April 2, 1792. ... The three-dollar piece was a United States coin produced from 1854 to 1889. ... The United States four dollar coin, also offically called a stella, is a unit of currency equaling four United States dollars. ... The 1914 Half Eagle The half eagle was a United States coin produced from 1795 to 1929. ... Eagle: retired $10 denomination of a series of gold coins A 1908 Eagle, Graded MS62 1908 Eagle Reverse The Eagle was one of four coins issued in gold by the United States Mint. ... For the device in heraldry, see Double-headed eagle. ... The Half-union was a United States coin minted in 1877 with a face value of 50 US and roughly 2. ... The Coinage Act, passed by the U.S. Congress on April 2, 1792, established the U.S. Mint and regulated coinage of the United States. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

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 United States Mint has minted over 20 different kinds of coins, of many different sizes. ...

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 31 USC 5120.

Criticisms

Unlike many world currencies the values of US coins are not inscribed in numerals on the coin. Instead the value is written in English words presenting potential difficulties for visitors to the country who do not speak the language well or English speakers unfamiliar with the currency. Furthermore, the coins' inscriptions do not follow a pattern in describing the value: "One Cent" (penny), "Five Cents" (nickel), "One Dime" (worth 10 cents), "Quarter Dollar" (worth 25 cents), and "Half Dollar" (worth 50 cents). The Presidential $1 Coins will be the first coins to display the coin's value using numerals ("$1" instead of "One Dollar"). A numeral is a symbol or group of symbols that represents a number. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

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 Sacagawea and Susan B. Anthony dollar 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"). Sacagawea (Sakakawea, Sacajawea, Suckajewea; see below) (c. ... Susan Brownell Anthony (February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was a prominent, independent and well-educated American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century womens rights movement to secure womens suffrage in the United States. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Standard atomic weight 107. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Seigniorage, also spelled seignorage or seigneurage, is the net revenue derived from the issuing of currency. ...

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.)
• What have they done to our coins? - An article visually exploring recent changes to U.S. modern coin designs.
• Complete US Coin Histories By year and type.