American coinage runs from the 1792 half disme to the modern quarter programs — with the Coinage Act of 1792, the 1900 gold standard, the 1965 silver removal, and a key-date roster (1794 dollar, 1909-S VDB, 1916-D dime) that anchors the whole hobby. This hub maps the denominations, the metal changes, and what American collectors hunt.
Currency history
- The Coinage Act of 1792, signed April 2, 1792, created the U.S. Mint and established the decimal dollar system.
- The Philadelphia Mint’s foundation stone was laid July 31, 1792; regular production began with cents in February 1793. The first U.S. coin released in quantity was the 1793 Chain cent (36,103 struck) — the chain reverse was replaced within weeks by the Wreath design.
- The Gold Standard Act, effective March 14, 1900, defined the dollar as 25.8 grains of .900 gold (about $20.67 per ounce); the gold standard was abandoned under President Franklin D. Roosevelt beginning in March 1933.
- The Coinage Act of 1965 (signed July 23, 1965) eliminated silver from circulating dimes and quarters and cut the half dollar from 90% to 40% silver; a 1970 law removed silver from the half dollar entirely, so 1965–1970 halves are 40% silver.
- In 1982 the cent’s composition changed from 95% copper to copper-plated zinc (97.5% zinc core).
- The 50 State Quarters ran 1999–2008, followed by the 2009 District of Columbia & U.S. Territories program (six designs) and the America the Beautiful quarters (2010–2021).
Key series
- Early coppers: large cents (1793–1857), Indian Head cents (1859–1909), Lincoln cents (1909–date) — with the 1909-S VDB as the series key.
- Silver dollars: Flowing Hair (1794–1795), Draped Bust, Seated Liberty, Morgan (1878–1921), Peace (1921–1935).
- Gold: the $20 double eagle, crowned by the Saint-Gaudens design (1907–1933); the modern bullion era opens with the American Gold Eagle (1986–present).
- 20th-century silver: Mercury dimes (1916–1945), Walking Liberty half dollars, and Washington quarters — silver through 1964.
- Modern programs: American Silver Eagles (1986–present), commemoratives, and the quarter programs that put collecting back in circulation.
What collectors hunt
- The big three keys — 1794 dollar, 1909-S VDB cent, 1916-D dime — are all heavily counterfeited; buy certified and verify mint-mark style.
- High-relief 1907 double eagles and Full Bands Mercury dimes carry the steepest conditional premiums in their series.
- Common-date Saint-Gaudens double eagles track gold melt plus a modest premium — they are a bullion position as much as a collectible.
- For every value question, work from live sold listings on the linked entries, not from printed price lists.
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