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US Coins

United States Coin Collecting

US Coins were first produced in 1792 when the US government established the first mint at Philadelphia. Since that time many different varieties and denominations of United States coins have been produced by the U.S. Mint.

Present day United States coins produced for circulation include the penny (1 cent), nickel (5 cent), dime (10 cent), quarter dollar (25 cent), half dollar (50 cent) and dollar coins.

**United States Coins**

Besides the coins now in circulation, there were also half cents, two cent pieces, and three cent pieces. 20 cent pieces were also made for four years, from 1875 to 1878.

Bullion and Commemorative Coins are also minted today by the United States Mint.

If you are interested in United States coin collecting, you can see that you will find a huge variety of coins for your collection.

Many people like to narrow down their collection to a certain typeType
The basic distinguishing design of a coin.
Type Set
One of each coin of a particular design, series or period. or seriesSeries
Set of years coin was minted with a specific design and denomination. of US coins and some collect several different types of coins all at once.

My favorite type of coin to collect is the Morgan Silver Dollar, but I will add anything to my collection that I find interesting. I have recently started to collect the Presidential $1 coins and I also like the state quarters.

Below you will find a list of the different US coins along with a brief introduction to each. Click the links for pictures and more information for each particular coin type.

Hint: click on the images below to see a larger image of the coin

Half Cent Coins

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Half Cent Coins (1793-1857) - Half Cents, also known as the half penny, were one of the earliest US coins (1793-1857). They were first minted in 1793, just as George Washington was getting started on his second term as President of the United States.
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One Cent Coins

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Large-Cents (1793-1857) - Large cents have earned a spot in history as the first US coins ever minted by the United States government on its own equipment and premises. They were minted from 1793 to 1857 at the mint in Philadelphia, the only U.S. Mint at the time.
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Flying Eagle Cents (1856-1858) - The flying eagle penny was produced from 1857-1858. It was the first small sized penny or one cent us coin. It gets its name from the eagle on the obverse (front) of the coin. On the reverse the words ONE CENT are surrounded by a wreath.
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Indian Cents (1859-1909) - The Indian Head Penny is a one cent coin that was produced for fifty years by the United States Mint, from 1859 through 1909. On the front of this US coin is the head of a Native American wearing a feather head dress with the word "LIBERTY" on it.
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Lincoln Cents (1909 to date) - If you choose to collect Lincoln cents you will find lots to work with and study as it is the longest-running US coin series as well as being very popular in United States Coin Collecting. The Lincoln cent replaced the Indian Head Penny in 1909 and is still being produced today.
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Two Cent Coins

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Two Cent Piece (1864-1873) - The United States two cent coin was produced from 1864 to 1873. It was made of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc and is a little bit smaller than the quarter we know today.

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Three Cent Coins

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Three Cent Piece (1851-1889) - Three cent coins were produced from 1851 to 1889. The earlier of these coins were made of 75% silver, then beginning in 1865 other three cent coins were made of a copper/nickel alloy (as shown in the photo here). These coins were referred to as the Three Cent Nickel.
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Five Cent Coins - Nickels

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Shield Nickel (1866-1883) - Shield Nickels were made of 75% copper and 25% nickel, and were produced from 1866 to 1883. A shield is featured on the front (obverse) and the numeral 5 surrounded by stars on the reverse. The shield nickel was the first nickel five-cent piece minted in the United States.
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Liberty Head Nickel (1883-1912) - The Liberty Nickel was officially minted between 1883 and 1912. It was made of 75% copper and 25% nickel. It featured a bust if "Liberty" on the front and the Roman Numeral "V" on the reverse. So, although it is commonly known as the Liberty Head Nickel, it is also sometimes referred to as the V Nickel
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Indian Head or Buffalo Nickel (1913-1938) - Buffalo Nickels have won a permanent place in the hearts of many Americans, including mine. However, it should actually be referred to as the Indian Head Nickel, as the buffalo is really on the back of the coin. Indian Head Nickels were made from 1913 to 1938 and are made of 75% copper and 25% nickel.
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Jefferson Nickel (1938 to date) - Jefferson Nickels are United States Five Cent coins. They were first produced in 1938. They are still produced today. This coin was the third coin made by the United States that featured a US President. Thomas Jefferson is on the obverse (front) of the coin. The reverse (back) of the coin shows Monticello, Jefferson's famous home in Virginia.
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Half Dime (1794-1873) - Early Half Dimes are silver five cent US coins also referred to as a half disme. They were first made in 1792. This was the year before the first US Mint actually opened for business. They were official US coins, however.
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Ten Cent Coins - Dimes

United States dimes, are ten cent coins or one-tenth of a dollar. They were first minted in 1796 and get their name from a French word "disme" which means tithe or tenth part.

Below is a list of US Dime Types:

Bust Dime (1796-1837)
Liberty Seated Dime (1837-1891)
Barber or Liberty Head Dime (1892-1916)
Mercury or Winged Liberty Head Dime (1916-1945)
Roosevelt Dime (1946 to date)

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Twenty Cent Coins

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20 Cent Piece (1875-1878) - A greatly criticized and disliked coin by the public, the Twenty Cent Piece only saw production for general circulation the first 2 years of minting (1875-1876) with only proofs minted the remaining 2 years (1877-1878).

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Twenty-five Cent Coins - Quarters

US Quarters, with a denomination of twenty five cents, or a quarter of a dollar, were authorized for minting in 1792, however the first quarter coins were not issued until 1796.

Since that time there have been several types of US Quarters minted, with many varieties of most types, making United States Quarters a great choice for a coin collection.

Here is a list of US Quarter types: