United States Mint coin sizes

Main article: Coins of the United States dollar

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 Alloy	Copper		Copper Alloy		Silver Alloy	Silver	Gold		Platinum	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 29 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 1794–1964
						$1 American Silver Eagle 40.6 mm 31.1 g 1986–present

Representative images of US coin sizes

Steel Alloy	Copper		Copper Alloy		Silver Alloy	Silver	Gold		Platinum	Palladium

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".