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MM.1 Names and values of coins

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What is money?

Money is what we use to buy goods and services. In the United States, money comes in coins and bills. Each coin has a name and a value.

Examples:
  • Coins: penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, dollar coin
  • Bills: one-dollar bill, five-dollar bill, and more
Note

Coins are the smaller, metal pieces of money, while bills are paper money. In this lesson, we will focus on coins.

Names and values of coins

Each coin has a special name and value. The value tells how much the coin is worth in cents.

Coin List:
  • Penny → 1 cent (¢) → 100 pennies = 1 dollar
  • Nickel → 5 cents (¢) → 20 nickels = 1 dollar
  • Dime → 10 cents (¢) → 10 dimes = 1 dollar
  • Quarter → 25 cents (¢) → 4 quarters = 1 dollar
  • Half Dollar → 50 cents (¢) → 2 half dollars = 1 dollar
  • Dollar Coin → 100 cents (¢) → 1 dollar coin = 1 dollar
Note

The cent sign (¢) shows coin values. One dollar is the same as 100 cents.

How to identify coins

You can tell coins apart by their size, color, and the pictures printed on them.

Tips:
  • Penny → smallest value, copper-colored
  • Nickel → larger than a penny, silver-colored
  • Dime → smallest in size, silver-colored
  • Quarter → larger, silver-colored, often with different state or national park designs
  • Half Dollar → large silver-colored coin, bigger than a quarter
  • Dollar Coin → gold-colored, about the size of a quarter but thicker
Note

Even if some coins look similar in color, their size and value are different. Look closely at the numbers and words on each coin.

Using coins in real life

You can use coins to pay for items. Adding the values of coins helps you find out how much money you have.

Examples:
  • 1 quarter + 1 dime = 25¢ + 10¢ = 35¢
  • 2 nickels = 5¢ + 5¢ = 10¢
  • 10 pennies = 1 dime = 10¢
  • 2 quarters = 50¢ = 1 half dollar
  • 1 dollar coin = 4 quarters = 100¢
Note

Always count carefully. Start with the largest coin first to make counting easier.