What Coins Are Made Of | U.S. Mint for Kids (2024)

FAQs

What Coins Are Made Of | U.S. Mint for Kids? ›

Today's coins are made from metals such as nickel, copper, and zinc. Instead of using one metal to make a coin, multiple kinds of metal are pressed together into layers. This is called a “clad” coin. The layers of a clad coin are like a sandwich.

The Mint makes circulating coins for spending. When people and businesses use these coins as money, they are “in circulation.” The denominations you'll see the most are the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. The Mint makes half dollars and dollars for collecting, but you can still spend them.

Coin Making

Round discs called blanks are punched out from the metal sheet. The blanks are heated to make them softer and then washed. They pass through a machine that squeezes them, forcing the sides up to form a rim. The coin press uses the die to stamp the blanks with the coin design.

Pennies are made of zinc coated with copper. Only nickels are one solid material—that same 75% copper/25% nickel alloy.

The first United States Mint was created in Philadelphia in 1792, and soon joined by other centers, whose coins were identified by their own mint marks. There are currently four active coin-producing mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point.

There are today four United States mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point. The bullion depository at Fort Knox is also part of the Mint system. On October 19, 1995 — a typical day — the mint produced 30 million coins worth about one million dollars.

Despite many collectors assuming these products are rare, the Philadelphia Mint purposely produced millions of coins without a mint mark. Still, many coins in circulation do not have a mint mark because of a printing error. For example, in 1968, the San Francisco Mint released “No S Proof” coins without mint marks.

What are dime made of? ›

Dimes from 1965 to the present are struck from a clad metal composed of outer layers of 75% copper and 25% nickel alloy, bonded to a pure copper core. Pre-1965 dimes followed Gresham's law and vanished from ordinary currency circulation at face value.

It's the only U.S. coin that is called by its metal content—even though the metal alloy in a nickel is only 25 percent nickel. The rest is copper. The nickel's image was a likely likeness.... The portrait on nickels made before 2004 was based on a marble bust by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.

The quarter and dime have a layer of copper inside layers of a nickel-copper mix. On the outside of a quarter –the bread– is a nickel-copper mixture that is silver in color. The inside filling is copper. The layers of metal help the coin last a long time.

Thanks to the tireless work of our manufacturing employees, the Mint continues to manufacture circulating coins, producing 13.1 billion coins during FY23. The Mint's bullion program produced outstanding results during FY23, generating $3,266.0 million in revenue and $69.2 million in net earnings.

Collectors and investors often consider US Mint coins a valuable addition to their portfolios. These pieces hold historical significance, potentially increase in value over time, and offer diversification.

The Franklin Mint items are sterling silver, sterling silver gold-plated, bronze, nickel, or Aluminum. At California Gold and silver exchange we do purchase the sterling silver items. They are generally marked sterling or . 999 silver on the side of the round or ingot.

Neither the Federal Reserve Banks nor the U.S. Mint provide coins directly to the public for circulation purposes. Instead, coins are placed into circulation through depository institutions (e.g. banks, savings and loans, credit unions, thrifts). The Federal Reserve Banks issue circulated coins before new coins.