The Mint rarely coined the smaller denomination silver coins – half dimes, dimes, and quarters – needed for daily transactions. Their preference was for the largest denominations of each metal. Silver dollars were also exported for use in international trade or stored as bullion.ĭuring the early 19th century, depositors such as banks supplied the silver and gold for coining and chose which coins they wanted back. gold coins were undervalued compared to silver, so they were exported and melted. The Coinage Act of 1792 set the ratio of silver to gold at 15:1, which was different than the world market. But at first, these coins didn’t circulate. In 1857, Congress discontinued the unpopular half cent and made the cent smaller to cut back on the amount of copper needed.Ĭoinage of silver and gold coins started in 17. This was partly due to the rise in the cost of copper. Copper cents enjoyed relatively stable production, but not in high enough numbers. Unfortunately, the Mint struggled with putting enough coins into circulation. The Mint quickly replaced the chain with a wreath, and a couple months later designed a new version of Liberty.Īlthough individual states were no longer authorized to produce coins, legislation temporarily allowed certain foreign coins to continue to circulate until the Mint released enough coins to handle the country’s needs. However, some people felt that it symbolized slavery instead of unity of the states. The image of Liberty on the obverse showed her hair steaming behind her and her expression “in a fright.” The reverse featured a chain of 15 links, similar to the Fugio cent. They were larger than a modern quarter, a bulky size for small change. These new cents caused a bit of a public outcry. The Mint delivered the nation’s first circulating coins on March 1, 1793: 11,178 copper cents. These half dimes were probably given out to dignitaries and friends and not released into circulation. In 1792, during construction of the new Mint, 1,500 silver half dimes were made in the cellar of a nearby building. Gold: quarter eagle ($2.50), half eagle ($5), and eagle ($10) Silver: half dime, dime, quarter, half dollar, and dollar This resulted in coins of the following metals and denominations: dollar to the already familiar Spanish milled dollar and its fractional parts (half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth). Congress chose decimal coinage in parts of 100, and set the U.S. The Coinage Act of 1792 established a national mint located in Philadelphia. However, the following year, a majority of states ratified the Constitution, establishing a new government and creating a new debate over national coinage. Called Fugio cents, the coins featured a sundial on the obverse and a chain of 13 links on the reverse. In 1787, after much debate about national coinage, Congress authorized the production of copper cents. This created a confusing situation, with the same coin worth different amounts from state to state. The Articles allowed each state to make their own coins and set values for them, in addition to the foreign coins already circulating. To make change for a dollar, people sometimes cut the coin into halves, quarters, eighths, and sixteenths to match the fractional denominations that were in short supply.Īfter the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation governed the country. Spanish milled dollars became a favorite because of the consistency of the silver content throughout the years. The design of the 2019 San Antonio Missions Quarter reverse resembles the colonial Spanish milled dollar.ĭuring the Colonial Period, a variety of coins circulated, including British pounds, German thalers, Spanish milled dollars, and even some coins produced by the colonies. Finally, production numbers grew to meet the demands of a growing nation, providing some of the most beloved circulating coin designs. Mint in 1792, the Mint struggled for many years to produce enough coins. Before national coinage, a mix of foreign and domestic coins circulated, both during the Colonial Period and in the years following the Revolutionary War. circulating coins began long before the opening of a national mint in 1792. Uncirculated Obverse Philadelphia: Hi-Res Imageīack to Top 2022 John F.The story of U.S. Uncirculated Obverse Denver: Hi-Res Image America the Beautiful Quarters® Program.For more information about the coins, visit the Circulating Coins page.Įmail to request images from previous years. Read the Mint’s design use policies and other information regarding the use of these images. Download high-resolution images of circulating coins for use in publications.
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