United States Mint 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.
Copper | Copper Alloys | Silver | Gold | Platinum | ||
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Three Cent 14 mm .75 g 1851-1873 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Small Cent 19.05 mm 2.5 g 1857-present |
Three Dollar 20.5 mm 5.01 g 1853-1876 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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$50 Bullion 32.7 mm 31.1 g 1986-present |
$100 Bullion 32.7 mm 31.1 g 1997-present |
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Double Eagle 34 mm 35 g 1850-1933 |
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Dollar 38.1 mm 22.68 g 1971-1978 |
Dollar 38.1 mm 26.73 g 1794-1970 |
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$1 Bullion 40.6 mm 31.1 g 1986-present |
Copper | Copper Alloy | Silver | Gold | Platinum | ||
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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.
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Topics | Federal Reserve System · Federal Reserve Note · U.S. dollar · U.S. Mint |
Current coinage | Cent (penny) · Nickel (5¢) · Dime (10¢) · Quarter dollar · Half dollar · Dollar |
Paper money | $1 · $2 · $5 · $10 · $20 · $50 · $100 · Larger denominations |
See also | Commemoratives · Confederate dollar · Fake denominations · Obsolete denominations |
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Topics | United States coinage · United States dollar · History of the United States dollar · Large denominations of currency |
Coins | Half cent · Large cent · Two-cent piece · Three-cent piece · Half dime · Twenty-cent piece · Trade Dollar |
Gold Coins | Gold dollar · Quarter Eagle ($2.50) · Three-dollar piece · Stella ($4) · Half Eagle ($5) · Eagle ($10) · Double Eagle ($20) |
Currency | Compound Interest Treasury Note · Demand Note · Federal Reserve Bank Note · Gold Certificate · Interest Bearing Note · National Bank Note · National Gold Bank Note · Refunding Certificate · Silver Certificate · Fractional currency · Treasury or 'Coin' Note · United States Note |