| Coin collecting is fascinating, and collecting | | | | Probably the most boring American coin are |
| American coins is an easy and entertaining hobby | | | | dimes. The design of dimes hasn't changed since |
| if you live in the United States. There are some | | | | 1945, the year after President Franklin Delano |
| really interesting coins of most denominations. | | | | Roosevelt died. He suffered from polio and |
| Pennies | | | | supported the March of Dimes. The March of |
| The Lincoln head penny is probably the most | | | | Dimes helps people with birth defects now, but in |
| collected American coin. They have been minted | | | | Roosevelt's time it also helped children who had |
| since 1909. During WWII some Lincoln head | | | | polio. To memorialize his support of the March of |
| pennies were made out of zinc instead of copper. | | | | Dimes, Franklin's portrait has remained on our |
| A very few were made of copper in 1943, and | | | | dimes since his death. Dimes are a boring coin, but |
| these are rare and valuable American coins. | | | | that is a great American coin story. |
| Pennies had an Indian head on them before the | | | | Quarters |
| Lincoln penny was minted. Another rare American | | | | The quarter, our favorite American coin, had the |
| coin are the indian head pennies. | | | | Statue of Liberty on it until 1930. George |
| Nickels | | | | Washington replaced her. The mint has been |
| Nickels had a picture of the goddess Liberty on | | | | releasing the very collectible US State quarters, an |
| them, from 1883 to 1913. An extremely rare | | | | American coin series that will be completed in |
| American coin, interestingly, is the 1913 liberty | | | | 2008, since 1999. |
| nickel. A mint employee made them illegally after | | | | Half Dollars and Dollars |
| hours and only five copies were made. | | | | Half dollars used to be common, and until 1964 |
| The most classic American coin is the buffalo | | | | they had Ben Franklin on one side and the Liberty |
| nickel. It has a buffalo on one side and an Indian | | | | Bell on the other. President Kennedy's portrait |
| head on the other. | | | | went on the half dollar in 1964. Because Kennedy |
| The nickel has had President Jefferson's portrait | | | | was beloved, and because the 1964 silver dollar |
| on it, since 1938. In 2004, the mint started a | | | | was to be the last "real" silver dollar, people |
| "Westward Journey" series of nickels to | | | | hoarded them and they became a treasured |
| commemorate Lewis and Clark's journey. So the | | | | American coin. The mint released more of them |
| Westward Journey nickels are destined to be | | | | than any other half dollar, because so many |
| collectible coins as they've tweaked Jefferson's | | | | people collected the 1964 Kennedy half-dollars. |
| portrait and the coins have different historical | | | | Congress even froze the date, and 1964 half |
| themes on the reverse side. | | | | dollars were minted in 1965, too. |
| Dimes | | | | |