However, the continued use of reeded edges on current circulating coinage of larger denominations is useful to the visually impaired. Reeded edges were eventually incorporated into the design of these denominations to deter counterfeiting and the fraudulent use of the coins, such as filing down the edges in an attempt to recover the precious metals.Ĭurrently, none of the coins produced for circulation contain precious metals. The dollar, half-dollar, quarter, and ten-cent coin denominations were originally produced from precious metals (gold and silver). The first commemorative coin to feature a woman was the 1893 Columbian Exposition Quarter Dollar portraying Queen Isabella of Spain. Her likeness on the new dollar represented the first time that a woman, other than a mythical figure, appeared on a circulating coin. On October 10, 1978, Public Law 95-447 honored Susan B. The direction that Lincoln faces on the cent was not mandated-this was simply the choice of the designer. Brenner’s design that he recommended to the Secretary of the Treasury that the design be placed on a coin issued in the Lincoln Centennial Year, 1909. President Theodore Roosevelt was so impressed with Mr. The likeness of President Lincoln is an adaption of a plaque by Victor David Brenner, an outstanding portraitist and sculptor. The Lincoln cent is the only circulating coin currently produced in which the portrait faces to the right. coinage in this manner for traditional reasons, and not due to any legal requirement. While Mint historians have researched the history of this practice, they have been unable to determine the exact reason for this custom. coinage is produced with what is commonly called a “coin turn.” That means that the reverse side (tails) of the coin is upside down to the obverse side (heads). Many changes in coin designs have been made since 1792 however, much of the original design scheme remains.Īll U.S. In the Act of 1792, Congress mandated that all American coins show on one side “an impression emblematic of Liberty, with an inscription of the word Liberty, and the year of coinage and upon the reverse of each of the gold and silver coins shall be the representation of an eagle, with this inscription, ‘UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’. Note: This list does not include regular issue gold coins. (Includes Eisenhower: 1971–1978 and Susan B. (Denominations in Bold Type Are Still Authorized) HALF CENT History of Regular Issue United States Coin Denominations The Mint also once produced military decorations for the nation’s armed forces, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the Navy Cross. From that time through the early 1980’s, foreign coins were struck for more than forty governments-including Hawaii (1883–1884) before it became the 50th State of the Union in 1959. The first foreign coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint for the government of Venezuela: two million 2 ½ centavo and ten million 1 centavo denominations from 1875–1876. The Mint was authorized to manufacture coins for foreign governments in 1874 (Act of January 29, 1874), as long as the function did not interfere with coinage production for the United States. Presented at treaty signings, the medals carried the face of the current president, with symbols of peace and friendship on the reverse. Lewis and Clark carried them on their expedition and presented them as tokens of peace from President Jefferson himself. In 1801, the United States began producing large silver peace medals for presentation to American Indian chiefs and warriors, following a diplomatic tradition set by the France and Great Britain. The modern Philadelphia and Denver facilities together in recent years have produced as many as 28 billion coins in a single year. Today, the Philadelphia and Denver Mints-which employ a highly-automated version of the same steps used in 1792-often produce millions of coins for circulation in 24 hours. The coin making process was a physical and tedious one and imperfect coins were frequent. Coin shapes were then punched out of the metal sheets, and these were hand-fed into machines that stamped them with coin faces. The manual process required heating metals in a blacksmith-like furnace, and flattening them into sheets by repeated trips through rollers. The first Philadelphia Mint used harnessed horses to drive the crude machinery that produced our coinage. The Mint’s coin production process has advanced greatly since 1792. The Treasury Seal that was developed actually remained quite the same even until today. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were two of the men who contributed research and ideas towards the early versions of the coins. This meant that the United States Mint was officially responsible for creating coins for public use. In 1792, American Congress passed the country’s first coinage act.
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