US coin sizes

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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.

Five distinct types of coin composition have been utilized over the past 200 years: Two base coin alloys, silver, gold, and in recent years, platinum. 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.

US Coin Sizes and Composition
Copper	Copper Alloys		Silver	Gold		Platinum
			Three Cent 14 mm .75 g 1851-1873
			Half Dime 15.5 mm 1.24 g 1794-1873	Dollar 15 mm 1.67 gr 1849-1889	$5 Bullion 16.5 mm 3.11 g 1986-present	$10 Bullion 16.5 mm 3.11 g 1997-present
	Three Cent 17.9 mm 1.94 g 1865-1889	Dime 17.91 mm 2.27 g 1965-present	Dime 17.9 mm 2.5 g 1796-1964	Quarter Eagle 18 mm 4.2 g 1796-1929
	Small Cent 19.05 mm 2.5 g 1857-present			Three Dollar 20.5 mm 5.01 g 1853-1876
	Nickel 21.21 mm 5 g 1866-present		Twenty Cent 22 mm 5 g 1875-1878	Half Eagle 21.6 mm 8.36 g 1795-1929	$10 Bullion 22 mm 7.78 g 1986-present	$25 Bullion 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 24.26 mm 5.67 g 1965-present	Quarter 24.3 mm 6.25 g 1796-1965
	Dollar 26.5 mm 8.1 g 1979-present			Eagle 27 mm 17.5 g 1795-1933	$25 Bullion 27 mm 17.5 g 1986-present	$50 Bullion 27 mm 15.6 g 1997-present
Large Cent 29 mm 10.89 g 1793-1857	Half Dollar 30.61 mm 11.34 g 1971-present		Half Dollar 30.6 mm 12.5 g 1796-1970
				$50 Bullion 32.7 mm 31.1 g 1986-present		$100 Bullion 32.7 mm 31.1 g 1997-present
				Double Eagle 34 mm 35 g 1850-1933
	Dollar 38.1 mm 22.68 g 1971-1978		Dollar 38.1 mm 26.73 g 1794-1970
			$1 Bullion 40.6 mm 31.1 g 1986-present

Representative images of US coin sizes
Copper	Copper Alloy		Silver	Gold		Platinum


				Quarter Eagle 18 mm 4.2 g 1796-1929

				Half Eagle 21.6 mm 8.36 g 1795-1929

				Eagle 27 mm 17.5 g 1795-1933
Large Cent 29 mm 10.89 g 1793-1857

				Double Eagle 34 mm 35 g 1850-1933

Notes on the tables:

Images are close to actual size on a 92-dpi monitor.
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 certain annual collector's sets.
The silver-colored Anthony Dollar was replaced with Gold-colored Sacagawea Dollar in 2000; 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. 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 a gold "Half Union" pattern in 1877, weighing 83.45 grams, and 51.1 mm in diameter. The largest coin actually issued by the mint was the Panama-Pacific Exposition $50 gold commemorative, at 83.572 grams and 44 mm. An octagonal version of the coin was slightly larger, measuring 45 mm at its widest point.

United States currency and coinage

Topics: Federal Reserve System | Federal Reserve Note | US dollar | US Mint

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