United States Dollar - Coins

Coins

Official United States coins have been produced every year from 1792 to the present.

• Half-cent 1792–1857
• Cent (Penny) 1793–present
• 2-cent 1864–1873
• 3-cent 1851–1889
• Half Dime, or half disme 1792–1873 (Not to be confused with the Five-cent Nickel below)
• Five-cent Nickel 1866–present
• Dime 1792–present
• 20-cent 1875–1878
• Quarter 1796–present
• Half dollar 1794–present
• Dollar coin 1794–present
• Quarter Eagle ($2.50 gold coin) 1792–1929
• Three-dollar piece 1854–1889 (gold coin)
• Four-dollar piece 1879–1880 (gold coin)
• Half Eagle ($5 gold coin) 1795–1929
• Eagle ($10 gold coin) 1795–1933
• Double Eagle ($20 gold coin) 1850–1933

Collector coins for which everyday transactions are non-existent.

• American Eagles originally were not available from the Mint for individuals but had to be purchased from authorized dealers. In 2006 The Mint began direct sales to individuals of uncirculated bullion coins with a special finish, and bearing a "W" mintmark.
  • American Silver Eagle $1 (1 troy ounce) silver bullion coin 1986–present
  • American Gold Eagle $5 (1/10 troy oz), $10 (1/4 troy oz), $25 (1/2 troy oz), and $50 (1 troy oz) Gold bullion coin 1986–present
  • American Platinum Eagle ($10, $25, $50, and $100 platinum coin) 1997–present

• United States commemorative coins—special issue coins
  • $50.00 (Half Union) 1915
  • Presidential Proofs (see below) 2007–present

Technically, all these coins are still legal tender at face value, though some are far more valuable today for their numismatic value, and for gold and silver coins, their precious metal value. From 1965 to 1970 the Kennedy half dollar was the only circulating coin with any silver content though the Mint still makes what it calls Silver Proof sets for collectors.

In addition, an experimental $4.00 (Stella) coin was also minted, but never placed into circulation and is properly considered to be a pattern rather than an actual coin denomination.

The $50 coin mentioned was only produced in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915) celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal. Only 1,128 were made, 645 of which were octagonal; this remains the only U.S. coin that was not round as well as the largest and heaviest U.S. coin ever.

From 1934 to present the only denominations produced for circulation have been the familiar penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar and dollar. The nickel is the only coin still in use today that is essentially unchanged (except in its design) from its original version. Every year since 1866, the nickel has been 75% copper and 25% nickel, except for 4 years during World War II when nickel was needed for the war.