The Weight of U.S. Coins
The United States government began minting coins in 1792, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Of the four minting facilities, currently only the mints in Philadelphia and Denver produce coins daily for commercial use. The two facilities combined produce between 65 and 80 million coins a day. The mint creates each coin at a regulation weight for distribution. The values per weight are based on the closing metal prices as of October 1, 2010.
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Lincoln Cent
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Lincoln Liberty penny Composed of plated zinc, the Lincoln cent, or penny, weighs 2.5 grams. Based on intrinsic metal value, a 1909 to 1982 (95 percent copper) penny is worth 2 cents, while a 1982 to 2010 (97.5 percent zinc) penny is worth only .5 cents.
Jefferson Nickel
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The nickel through the years The nickel is made of cupro-nickel and weighs 5.0 grams. The value of nickel metal increased by 22 cents in 2010, to $10.7879 per pound, causing a 1946 to 2010 nickel to be valued above face price at 5.99 cents.
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Roosevelt Dime
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The intrinsic metal value of five 2010 dimes equals the face value of just over one dime. The smallest U.S. Coin, the dime is 8.33 percent nickel balanced with copper (cupro-nickel). It weighs 2.286 grams. The intrinsic metal value of the 1965 to 2010 dime is worth only 2.1 cents.
Quarter
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A quarter stands out in contrast to the paper dollar. The U.S. quarter weighs in at 5.67 grams. Similar to the nickel and dime in composition, it is also made from cupro-nickel. The intrinsic metal value of the 1965 to 2010 quarter is 5.3 cents.
Kennedy Half Dollar
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John F. Kennedy's profile minted in cupro-nickel As the largest coin in circulation, the half dollar weighs 11.34 grams. It is made of an amount of cupro-nickel that is valued at 10.6 cents.
Presidential Dollar
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$25 for 25 coins The presidential dollar coin is the largest denomination of monetary coin in regular circulation in the United States. It weighs 8.1 grams. Composed of manganese-brass, the presidential dollar is currently 88.5 percent copper, 6 percent zinc, 3.5 percent manganese and 2 percent nickel. The intrinsic metal content of the 1971 to 1978 Eisenhower dollar values at 21.24 cents, the 1979 to 1981 Susan B. Anthony dollar values at 7.58 cents, and the 2007 to 2010 presidential dollar values at 6.35 cents.
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References
- Photo Credit penny image by Evan Meyer from Fotolia.com three nickels image by Sean Arenas from Fotolia.com five dimes, fifty cents image by Sean Arenas from Fotolia.com quarter dollar image by kshishtof from Fotolia.com kennedy half dollar image by John Sfondilias from Fotolia.com us government just issued the new presidential dol image by Gary from Fotolia.com
