United States coinage

The currently authorized denominations of circulating United States coins are:

• one cent coin ("penny"), $0.01
• five cent coin ("nickel"), $0.05
• Dime, $0.10
• Quarter, $0.25
• Half Dollar, $0.50
• Dollar, $1.00

All coins are fractions of the United States dollar and are created by the United States Mint.

Several non-circulating bullion coins are also produced by the United States Mint.

• Hundred Dollar, $100, one ounce platinum
• Fifty Dollar, $50, half-ounce platinum
• Fifty Dollar, $50, one ounce gold
• Twenty-Five Dollar, $25, half-ounce gold
• Twenty-Five Dollar, $25, quarter-ounce platinum
• Ten Dollar, $10, tenth-ounce platinum
• Ten Dollar, $10, quarter-ounce gold
• Five Dollar, $5, tenth-ounce gold
• One Dollar, $1, one-ounce silver

Historical denominations of US coins, which no longer circulate, include:

• half-cent
• two cent
• three cent
• half dime
• twenty cent
• two and one-half dollar or quarter eagle
• three dollar
• four dollar
• five dollar or half eagle
• ten dollar or eagle
• twenty dollar or double eagle (see: 1933 U.S. 20 dollar gold coin)

It is a common misconception that "eagle"-based nomenclature for gold US coinage was merely slang. This is not the case. The eagle, half eagle, and quarter eagle were specifically given these names in the Act of Congress that originally authorized them ("An Act establishing a Mint, and regulating Coins of the United States", section 9, April 2, 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 current dollar coin has an image of Sacagawea on the obverse, and is minted of a golden colored brass manganese alloy. This "golden dollar" was designed to replace the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, which was produced from 1979-1981 and again in 1999. The size, weight, and electromagnetic characteristics of the Sacagawea dollar exactly match those of the Susan B. Anthony dollar, avoiding any need to modify vending machines.

External link

• United States Mint
• Page of 1792 Mint and Coinage Act that describes the first completely regulated US coinage system.