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Money and Finance

How Money is Made: Coins

Coins are money made from metals. In the past, coins were sometimes made from valuable metals such as gold and silver. Today, most coins are made with some combination of copper, zinc, and nickel.

Where are coins made in the United States?


U.S. coins are made by the U.S. Mint which is a division of the Department of the Treasury. There are four different U.S. Mint facilities that make coins. They are located in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point (New York). The majority of the coins that the public uses today are made in Philadelphia or Denver.

Who designs new coins?

New coins are designed by artists that work for the U.S. Mint. They are called sculptor-engravers. The designs are reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the Commission of Fine Arts. The final decision on a new design is made by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Making Coins

The U.S. mint goes through the following steps when manufacturing coins:

1) Blanking - The first step is called blanking. Long strips of metal are run through a blanking press. The press cuts out blank coins from the press. The leftovers are recycled to be used again later.

2) Annealing - The blank coins then go through the annealing process. In this process they are heated up and softened. Then they are washed and dried.

3) Upsetting - The next step is the upsetting mill. This process forms the raised rim around the edges of the coin.

4) Striking - Striking takes place in the coining press. The coining press strikes the coin on both sides with a great amount of pressure. It stamps the design of the coin right into the metal.

5) Inspecting - Now that the coin is made, it still needs to be inspected. Trained inspectors examine the coins to make sure they were made correctly.

6) Counting and Bagging - Next the coins are counted by a machine and placed into bags to be shipped to banks.

What metals are U.S. coins made from? Interesting Facts About How Coins Are Made


Learn More about Money and Finance:

Personal Finance

Budgeting
Filling out a Check
Managing a Checkbook
How to Save
Credit Cards
How a Mortgage Works
Investing
How Interest Works
Insurance Basics
Identity Theft

About Money

History of Money
How Coins are Made
How Paper Money is Made
Counterfeit Money
United States Currency
World Currencies 		Money Math

Counting Money
Making Change
Basic Money Math
Money Word Problems: Addition and Subtraction
Money Word Problems: Multiplication and Addition
Money Word Problems: Interest and Percent

Economics

Economics
How Banks Work
How the Stock Market Works
Supply and Demand
Supply and Demand Examples
Economic Cycle
Capitalism
Communism
Adam Smith
How Taxes Work
Glossary and Terms

Note: This information is not to be used for individual legal, tax, or investment advice. You should always contact a professional financial or tax advisor before making financial decisions.

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