The United States Mint has minted over 20 different kinds of coins, of many different sizes. Often, it is difficult for people to get a grasp of what much of the historical coinage looked like, at least in relation to modern circulating coins. This chart shows all of the coin types, and their sizes, grouped by coins of similar size and by general composition.[1]

Seven distinct types of coin composition have been used over the past 200 years: three base coin alloys, two silver alloys, gold, and in recent years, platinum and palladium. The base metal coins were generally alloys of copper (for 2 cent coins and lower), and copper/nickel (for 3 and 5 cent coins). Copper/nickel composition is also used for all modern "silver" coins.[2]

US Coin Sizes and Composition
Steel AlloyCopperCopper AlloySilver AlloySilverGoldPlatinum Palladium
Three Cent
14 mm
0.8 g
0.750 fine
1851–1853
14 mm
0.75 g
0.900 fine
1854–1873
Half Dime
15.5 mm
1.24 g
1794–1873		 Dollar
15 mm
1.67 gr
1849–1889		 $5 American Gold Eagle
16.5 mm
3.11 g
1986–present		 $10 American Platinum Eagle
16.5 mm
3.11 g
1997–present
Three Cent
17.9 mm
1.94 g
1865-1889		 Dime (Clad)
17.91 mm
2.268 g
1965–present		 Dime
17.9 mm
2.5 g
1796–1964		 $2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle
18 mm
4.2 g
1796–1929
Small Cent
19.05 mm
2.5 g
1943		 Small Cent
19.05 mm
3.11 g
1864-1982		 Small Cent
19.05 mm
4.67 g
1856-1864
2.5 g
1982–present		 Three Dollar
20.5 mm
5.01 g
1853–1876
Nickel
21.21 mm
5 g
1866–present		 Nickel
21.21 mm
5 g
1942–1945		 Twenty Cent
22 mm
5 g
1875–1878		 $5 Half Eagle
21.6 mm
8.36 g
1795–1929		 $10 American Gold Eagle
22 mm
7.78 g
1986–present		 $25 American Platinum Eagle
22 mm
7.78 g
1997–present
Half Cent
23.5 mm
6.74 g
1795–1857		 Two Cent
23 mm
6.22 g
1864-1873		 Quarter (Clad)
24.26 mm
5.67 g
1965–present		 Quarter (40% Ag)
24.3 mm
5.75 g
1976(S)		 Quarter
24.3 mm
6.25 g
1796–1964
Dollar
26.5 mm
8.1 g
1979–Present[3]		 $10 Eagle
27 mm
17.5 g
1795–1933		 $25 American Gold Eagle
27 mm
17.5 g
1986–present		 $50 American Platinum Eagle
27 mm
15.6 g
1997–present
Large Cent
28 mm
10.89 g
1793–1857		 Half Dollar (Clad)
30.61 mm
11.34 g
1971–present		 Half Dollar (40% Ag)
30.6 mm
11.5 g
1965–1970, 1976(S)		 Half Dollar
30.6 mm
12.5 g
1796–1964
$50 American Gold Eagle
32.7 mm
31.1 g
1986–present		 $100 American Platinum Eagle
32.7 mm
31.1 g
1997–present
$20 Double Eagle
34 mm
35 g
1849–1933		 $25 American Palladium Eagle
34.036 mm
31.120 g
2017–present
Dollar (Clad)
38.1 mm
22.68 g
1971–1978		 Dollar (40% Ag)
38.1 mm
24.59 g
1971(S)-1976(S)		 Dollar
38.1 mm
26.73 g
1794–1935
$1 American Silver Eagle
40.6 mm
31.1 g
1986–present
Representative images of US coin sizes
Steel AlloyCopperCopper AlloySilver AlloySilverGoldPlatinum Palladium
3-Cent Silver
Silver Half Dime $5 Gold Bullion $10 Platinum Bullion
Cupronickel 3 Cents Clad Dime Mercury Dime Quarter Eagle
Zinc Coated Steel Wartime Cent 95% Copper Bronze Cent 88% Copper "White Cent" 2.5% Copper Small Cent Three Dollar Piece
35% Silver War Nickel Silver 20-cent Coin Half Eagle $10 Gold Bullion $25 Platinum Bullion
Copper Half Cent Copper Two Cent Clad Washington Quarter Silver Standing Liberty Quarter
Clad Anthony Dollar "Golden" Dollar Eagle $25 Gold Bullion $50 Platinum Bullion
Clad Half Dollar 40% Silver Half Dollar Silver Half Dollar
$50 Gold Bullion $100 Platinum Bullion
Clad Eisenhower Dollar 40% Silver Eisenhower Dollar Silver Peace Dollar Double Eagle
$1 Silver Bullion

Notes on the tables:

  • Images are close to actual size on a 92-dpi monitor.
  • Clad Half Dollars, Silver Half Dollars and Dollars, and Gold Half Eagles and Eagles are still regularly minted as commemorative coins. Dimes, quarters and half dollars are also struck in 90% silver for special annual collector's sets.
  • The silver-colored Susan B. Anthony dollar was replaced with gold-colored Sacagawea dollar in 2000 and Presidential Dollars 2007-2016; though the composition changed, the coin's size and weight remain the same.
  • Some variances in coin size and weight occurred over time, especially as the value of silver varied. In particular, many silver coins changed in the 1870s.[4] The figures cited in the tables are representative of the series, and are generally the latest, or most common, figures for a given coin type.

The largest coin ever minted by the US Mint was the 2019 Apollo 50th anniversary 5ounce silver dollar, weighing 155.517 grams, and 76.2 mm in diameter.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "The United States Mint: Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  2. ↑ "Coin Composition, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta". Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  3. ↑ "Native American $1 Coin". Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Evans, George Greenlief. Illustrated History of the United States Mint ... American Coinage ...: With Biographical Sketches of the Mint Officers from Its Foundation to the Present Time; to which are Added a Glossary of Mint Terms and the Latest Official Tables .... United States: Geo. G. Evans, Pub., 1893.
  5. ↑ "Apollo 11 50th Anniversary 5 Oz. Silver Proof Coin | U.S. Mint".
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