Skip navigation Once it was hard to tell a penny from a dime... Although they are different colors, pennies and dimes are very close in size. In 1943, copper was needed for war materials, so pennies were made out of zinc-coated steel. Because the color was silvery, it was easy to mistake a penny for a dime. Fortunately, pennies were only made that way for one year. You might have little round sandwiches in your pocket... Most of our coins are metal sandwiches. The outside layers are three-quarters copper and one-quarter nickel, and the "filling" is solid copper. Pennies are made of zinc coated with copper. Only nickels are one solid material—that same 75% copper/25% nickel alloy. Would you like fries with that? This penny is almost as big as a half dollar... America's first one-cent piece, called the "large cent," was first struck in 1793, one year after the Mint opened. It was so big that it was hard to use, but it wasn't replaced by a smaller penny until 1857, more than 50 years later. George Washington was our first President – but not the first President on a circulating coin.... In 1909, President Lincoln appeared on a one-cent coin and became the first real person—as well as the first American president—to have his face appear on a regular-issue American coin. We used to trade gold, silver, and copper.... A 1792 law directed American money to be made of gold, silver and copper. Gold was used in the $10, $5, and $2.50 pieces. The dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, and half dime were composed of silver. The cent and half cent were made of copper. How much was in that first batch?... The Mint produced its first circulating coins—all $111.78 worth of them—in March 1793. That first batch consisted of 11,178 copper cents. Soon after, the Mint began issuing gold and silver coins as well. Which Revolutionary War hero also helped make coins?... Besides being quite the skilled horseman and informant, Paul Revere was a silversmith and a contributor to our nation's coinage. Revere's metals company once supplied the Mint with rolled copper for the production of early cents. Heads, it’s Lincoln; tails, it’s Lincoln.... The Lincoln cent (1959 to 2007) featured this beloved president on both sides of the coin. On the obverse, we see his face in profile; on the reverse, he is seated in the Lincoln Memorial. However, the coin does carry the initials of two different engravers. There were copper pennies and white cents?... Yes, there were "white cents" that didn't look at all like pennies. These were the Flying Eagle one cent coins of 1856–58 and the Indian Head one cent coins of 1859-64. They were made from metal that contained 88 parts copper to 12 parts nickel, which gave them a light or white color. Honest, you’d be lucky to have a silly head! Here’s why... "Silly Head" is the popular name for a U.S. cent minted in 1839. The coin got this nickname because most people thought the picture of Miss Liberty on the obverse (front) looked silly.
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Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the provided article from the U.S. Mint Coin Classroom:
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Copper Shortage in 1943:
- During World War II in 1943, there was a shortage of copper needed for war materials.
- Pennies were temporarily made out of zinc-coated steel to conserve copper.
- The silvery color of these steel pennies made it easy to mistake them for dimes.
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Coin Composition:
- Most U.S. coins are metal sandwiches, with outer layers containing three-quarters copper and one-quarter nickel.
- Pennies, however, are made of zinc coated with copper.
- Nickels are the exception, being composed of one solid material, a 75% copper/25% nickel alloy.
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Evolution of Penny Size:
- The first one-cent piece, known as the "large cent," was introduced in 1793, just one year after the Mint opened.
- This coin was notably large and was eventually replaced by a smaller penny in 1857.
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President Lincoln on Coins:
- In 1909, President Lincoln became the first real person and American president to have his face appear on a regular-issue American coin, specifically the one-cent coin.
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1792 Law on Coin Materials:
- In 1792, a law directed American money to be made of gold, silver, and copper.
- Different denominations were assigned different metals, such as gold for $10, $5, and $2.50 pieces, silver for the dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, and half dime, and copper for the cent and half cent.
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Mint's First Production:
- The Mint produced its first circulating coins, worth $111.78, in March 1793, consisting of 11,178 copper cents.
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Paul Revere's Contribution:
- Paul Revere, known for his role in the Revolutionary War, was also a silversmith and contributed to the nation's coinage.
- Revere's metals company supplied rolled copper to the Mint for the production of early cents.
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Lincoln Cent Designs:
- The Lincoln cent (1959 to 2007) featured President Lincoln on both sides, with his face in profile on the obverse and seated in the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse.
- The coin bore the initials of two different engravers.
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"White Cents" - Flying Eagle and Indian Head:
- There were "white cents," including the Flying Eagle one cent coins (1856–58) and the Indian Head one cent coins (1859-64).
- These coins had a light or white color due to their composition of 88 parts copper to 12 parts nickel.
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1839 "Silly Head" Cent:
- The "Silly Head" is a popular name for a U.S. cent minted in 1839.
- The coin earned this nickname because most people thought the depiction of Miss Liberty on the obverse looked silly.
