Coins of the United States dollar – aside from those of the earlier Continental currency – were first minted in 1792. New coins have been produced annually and they comprise a significant aspect of the United States currency system. Circulating coins exist in denominations of 1¢ (i.e. 1 cent or $0.01), 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 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 Banks which in turn put coins into circulation and withdraw them as demanded by the United States economy.
Current coinage Four mints currently 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 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 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.
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, and West Point coins bear a letter W. S and W coins are rarely found in general circulation, although S coins bearing dates prior to the mid-1970s are in circulation. The CC, O, C, and D mint marks were used on gold and silver coins for various periods from the mid-19th century until the early 20th century by temporary mints in Carson City, Nevada; New Orleans, Louisiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Dahlonega, Georgia. Most such coins that still exist are now in the hands of collectors and museums.
Coins in circulation Value Image Specifications Description Minted Usage Common name Obverse Reverse Diameter Thickness Mass Composition Edge Obverse Reverse1¢ 1909–1942 copper 95%tin/zinc 5% plain Abraham Lincoln Wheat 1909–1958 wide2 wheat cent, wheat penny, wheatie 1943: ? steel/zinc1 rare2 1944–1946: ? salvaged brass composition1 wide2 1947–1982 copper 95%tin/zinc 5% wide2 Lincoln Memorial1959–2008wide cent, penny1982–present2.50 g (38 gr) Core: zinc 97.5% Plating: copper 2.5%1 see article: Lincoln Bicentennial cents (2009) Lincoln bicentennial designs 2009 Union shield 2010–present (after 2025 not for circulation) 5¢ copper 75%nickel 25%3 plain Thomas Jefferson (profile) Monticello 1938–2003 wide nickel see article: Westward Journey nickel Lewis & Clark bicentennial designs 2004–2005 Thomas Jefferson (portrait) Monticello 2006–present 10¢ Core: copper 100% Plating: copper 75%nickel 25% Overall: copper 91.67%nickel 8.33%4 118 reeds Franklin D. Roosevelt torch, oak branch, olive branch 1946–present widedimesee article:United States Semiquincentennial coinage Liberty Eagle clutching arrows 2026 25¢ 119 reeds George Washington Bald eagle 1932–1974, 1977–19985 wide quarter, quarter dollar Bicentennial colonial military drummer (1975) 19765 Washington crossing the Delaware 2021 see article: 50 State quarters State Quarter Series 1999–2008see article: D.C. and U.S. Territories quarters D.C. and U. S. Territories Quarters 2009 see article: America the Beautiful quarters America the Beautiful Quarters 2010–2021see article: American Women quarters American Women quarters 2022–2025see article:United States Semiquincentennial coinage Semiquincentennial Designs 2026 50¢ 150 reeds John F. Kennedy Seal of the president of the United States surrounded by 50 stars 1964–1974, 1977–present5 limited6 half, half dollar, 50-cent piece Independence Hall (1975) 19765 see article:United States Semiquincentennial coinage Statue of Liberty Hands passing Liberty's torch 2026 (not currently circulated) $1 22.68 g(0.8 oz)(350 gr) reeded Dwight D. Eisenhower Apollo 11 mission insignia 1971–1974, 1977–1978limitedlarge dollar, Ike dollar, silver dollar Liberty Bell superimposed over the Moon 1975–1976 8.10 g(125 gr) reeded Susan B. Anthony Apollo 11 mission insignia 1979–1981, 19998limitedSBA, Suzie B., Anthony, silver dollar $1 8.10 g(125 gr) Core: 100% CuCladding: 77% Cu, 12% Zn, 7% Mn, 4% NiOverall: 88.5% Cu, 6% Zn, 3.5% Mn, 2% Ni plain Sacagawea Bald eagle in flight 2000–2008limited7 dollar coin, gold(en) dollar, Sacagawea see article: Native American redesign (2009–present) incused inscriptions Native American Themes 2009–present (after 2012 not for circulation)see article: Presidential dollar coins7 Each deceased president Statue of Liberty 2007–2016, 2020 (after 2012 not for circulation) dollar coin, gold(en) dollarsee article: American Innovation dollars9 Statue of Liberty10 Various designs, honoring an innovation or innovator from each state 2018–2032 (not currently circulated)
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" are not likely to be found in circulation today, as they were later intentionally removed from circulation for recycling the metal and by collectors. However, cents minted from 1944 to 1946 were made from salvaged WWII ammunition shells, making a special brass composition to replace the steel cents, but still save material for the war effort, and are more common in circulation than their 1943 counterparts. Starting 2026, pennies are minted only for collectible sets due to cost. In 2025, the Mint produced 232 three-coin sets, each containing an Omega (Ω) privy-marked circulating cent from Philadelphia, another from Denver, and a 24-karat gold cent struck in Philadelphia, commemorating the end of the cent's production for circulation. The wheat cent was mainstream and common during its time. Some dates are rare, but many can still be found in circulation. This is partially due to the fact that unlike the formerly silver denominations (dollar, half dollar, quarter, and dime), the composition of the pre-1982 cent, nearly pure copper, is not so much more valuable over face value for it to be hoarded to the extreme extent of the silver denominations. 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. Few of these are still found in circulation. Prior to 1965 and passage of the Coinage Act of 1965 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 silver content. Some modern commemorative coins have been minted in the silver dollar denominations of varying purities. In 1975 and 1976 U.S. Bicentennial coinage 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 six-coin Proof Set. A special three-coin set of 40% silver coins were also issued by the U.S. Mint in both Uncirculated and Proof. Use of the half-dollar is not as widespread as that of other coins in general circulation; most Americans use quarters, dimes, nickels and cents only, as these are the coins most often found in general circulation. When found, many 50¢ coins are quickly hoarded, spent, or brought to banks. They are often sought after by coin roll hunters for the purpose of searching for silver coins, proofs, and coins not intended for circulation. The Presidential Dollar series features portraits of all deceased U.S. Presidents (with the exception of Jimmy Carter) with four coin designs issued each year in the order of the president's inauguration date from 2007 to 2016 and then one coin design in 2020 for president George H. W. Bush who died after the original program ended. These coins began circulating on February 15, 2007. Starting 2012, these coins have been minted only for collectible sets because of a large stockpile. For new presidents to be eligible for a coin design, they must have been deceased for at least two years prior to the time of minting. The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was minted from 1979 to 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 intended for circulation. Since 2019, each American Innovation dollar coin features a different privy mark, changed annually, located just below "IN GOD WE TRUST".
Bullion coins Non-circulating bullion coins have been produced each year since 1986. They can be found in gold, silver, platinum (since 1997), and palladium (since 2017). The face value of these coins is legal as tender, but does not actually reflect the value of the precious metal contained therein. On May 11, 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. The bullion coin types include "S" (San Francisco, 1986–1992), "P" (Philadelphia, 1993 – 2000), and "W" (West Point, New York, 2001–present).
MetalTypeFace ValueImagesSpecifications Obverse Reverse Diameter Fineness ContentDates Silver America the Beautiful silver bullion coins 25¢ See article: America the Beautiful quarters 76.2 mm 999 fine 2010–2021American Silver Eagle$1 40.6 mm 1986–2021 2021 – present Gold American Gold Eagle$5 16.5 mm 916 fine (22 karat) 1986–2021 2021 – present$10 22.0 mm 1986–2021 2021 – present$25 27.0 mm 1986–2021 2021 – present$50 32.7 mm 1986–2021 2021 – present American Buffalo $5 16.5 mm 999.9 fine (24 karat) 2008 $10 22.0 mm 2008 $25 27.0 mm 2008 $50 32.7 mm 2006 – present American Liberty high relief gold coin $100see article: American Liberty high relief gold coin 30.61 mm 2015 – present Platinum American Platinum Eagle $10 16.5 mm 999.5 fine 1997–2008 $25 22.0 mm 1997–2008 $50 27.0 mm 1997–2008 $100 32.7 mm 1997 – present Palladium American Palladium Eagle $25 32.7 mm 999.5 fine 2017 – present
Commemorative coins Modern commemoratives have been minted since 1982. A list is available here.
+ Composition of US Modern Commemorative Coins Type Total Weight Diameter Composition Face Value Precious Metal ContentHalf Dollar 11.34 g Cu 92%, Ni 8% 50¢ none 12.50 g Ag 90%, Cu 10% silver 10.25374 g (~0.36169 ozt) Dollar 26.73 g Ag 90%, Cu 10% $1 silver 24.057 g (~0.773 ozt) Ag 99.9% silver Half Eagle 8.539 g Au 90%, Ag 6%, Cu 4% $5 gold 7.523 g (~0.2418 ozt) Rose Half Eagle 7.931 g Au 85%, Cu 14.8%, Zn .2% $5 gold 6.7414 g (0.21676 ozt) Eagle 16.718 g Au 90%, Ag 6%, Cu 4% $10 gold 15.05 g (~0.484 ozt) Bi-metallic Eagle 16.259 g Au 48%, Pt 48%, alloy 4% gold, platinum First Spouse Gold Bullion 14.175 g Au 99.99% gold 14.175 g (~0.456 ozt) Half Ounce Liberty Bell 15.552 g Au 99.99% $125 gold 15.552 g (0.5 ozt) Semiquincentennial $250 coins 31.106 g varies Au 99.99% $250 gold 31.106 g (1 ozt)