Uncle Sam Wants His Change Trivia Quiz

Answer: One union

The Union represents a coin concept rather than an actually produced coin. In the late 1800s, with paper money not always welcome in the western United States, Congress considered issuing large denomination gold coins. A union would have held a face value of 100 dollars and contained approximately five ounces of gold and a half union half of each. Though designs were created the coin was never minted or put into circulation.

In 1915, commemorative coins were issued by the US Mint in the denomination of fifty dollars (a half union) to commemorate the Panama-Pacific Exposition. Several hundred of each were issued in a round shape and an octagonal shape.

This would represent the largest face value denomination on any US Mint coin until the Mint's bullion coin program began in the 1980s.

Answer: One eagle

The eagle is the largest named denomination in the US Coinage Act of 1792. It was a gold coin that changed over the years from 91.7% gold to 89.9% gold to 90% gold. One eagle was equal to 10 dollars or 100 dimes or 1,000 cents, or 10,000 mills. Early eagles bore no denomination on the reverse. Later eagles had either "Ten D." or "Ten Dollars" on the obverse. Until the California Gold Rush, the eagle was the largest value coin issued by the US government. Like other circulating gold coins in the United States, minting of the eagle stopped in 1933.

Answer: One "Stella"

A "Stella" was another proposed coin that was minted in small numbers although not actually circulated. It was a gold coin with a face value of four dollars and several hundred of these were made in 1879 and 1880. The coin was nicknamed the "Stella" because of the star design on the back of the coin.

The US Mint already issued a gold coin that was close in size--the half eagle (face value five dollars). The "Stella" was meant to more closely match the size and value of coins issued by several countries in the Latin Monetary Union--the 20 franc coin of France, the 20 mark coin of Germany, the 20 lira coin of Italy, etc.

Answer: One dollar

The dollar is named in the 1792 US Coinage Act. Ten dollars would be equal to an eagle. A dollar was equal to 10 dimes or 100 cents or 1,000 mills. The dollar was originally a large "crown-sized" silver coin. Through a significant part of the nineteenth century, because of a loophole in coinage laws, the silver dollar contained more silver than an equivalent number of other coins. (That is, a silver dollar had more silver than 10 silver dimes, etc.) This led to a situation were a smaller number of silver dollars were made and many of those that were made were melted down for their precious metal content. Three real-life individuals have been seen on US dollar coins in the 20th century--Dwight Eisenhower (1971-1978), Susan B. Anthony (1979-1981, 1999) and Sacajawea (first issued in 2000).

The last two coins were so-called "mini dollars", several millimeters smaller than traditional silver dollars.

Answer: "Two Bits"

"Two Bits" was a common name for a US quarter dollar coin. The US dollar was originally set at a value equal to the Spanish colonial eight real silver coin (the so-called "Pieces of Eight"). The coin was also sometimes called eight bits. The quarter dollar was therefore equal to two bits.

Initially issued in silver, the quarter dollar along with the dime was converted to a cupro-nickel composition in the mid-1960s. 1932 saw the first issue of the Washington quarter dollar, initially with a eagle reverse (as mandated by Federal law).

The reverse would change in later decades as reverses were designed to honor the 50 states (1999-2008), US territories (2009), and US national parks (beginning in 2010).

Answer: One dime

The dime is a listed denomination in the US Coinage Act of 1792. There were 100 mills or ten cents in a dime. There were 100 dimes or 10 dollars in an eagle. Like the quarter dollar or half dollar, the dime was a predominantly silver coin until 1964. From 1794 until 1915, the three coins shared very similar designs (at least on the obverse). One of the best known designs for this coin is the "Mercury".

This dime does not depict the Roman god, however, but instead has a bust (representing liberty) wearing a winged cap (representing freedom of thought).

Answer: One "nickel"

The nickel is not an official US coin denomination, but a popular term used to describe five cent coins minted in cupro-nickel. A "nickel" equaled fifty mills. There were two "nickels" in a dime and twenty in a dollar. The coin was first issued in 1866 and gradually took the place of the silver half dime.

The so-called "Buffalo Nickel" or "Indian Head Nickel" (1913-1938) had a bust of a Native American male on the obverse and a bison (not buffalo) on the reverse. Five and Ten stores (once common in the United States) were so named because items could be purchased for a nickel or a dime.

Answer: One trime

The trime has a value of three cents or 30 mills. 333 trimes and one cent were equal to 100 dimes or 10 dollars or one eagle. The trime was first minted for circulation in 1851. It was a very small silver coin. It is believed that the trime was minted to aid in the purchase of first class US stamps (three cents each at the time). Never issued in large numbers after the first year, silver times were last issued in 1873.

A second type of three cent coin made in cupro-nickel was issued from 1865 to 1889.

This coin was minted to help relieve coin shortages in the United States caused by the US Civil War.

Answer: One cent

The cent (not the penny) is one of the main units of the US monetary system. One cent was equal to 10 mills. 1,000 cents was equal to 100 dimes or 10 dollars or 1 eagle. The original large cents (about the size of a half dollar coin) issued in the period 1793-1857, were made of pure copper.

The small cents first issued for circulation in 1857 have included other metals in the mix. The Lincoln cents first issued for circulation in 1909 are one of the most common and popular coins ever issued.

Answer: One mill

The mill is the smallest coin described by name in the US Coinage Act of 1792. 10,000 mills were equal to 1,000 cents or 100 dimes or 10 dollars or one eagle. The US Mint never issued a coin denominated in mills. The smallest coin issued by the mint, the half cent, was equal in value to five mills.

Some tokens in denominations such as one mill and five mills were issued by some state and local governments for collecting small amounts of sales tax and other taxes. While somewhat common during times of economic struggle such as the Great Depression, these tokens have seen little circulation since the 1960s.

In the United States the term mill is still sometimes used in describing property tax rates.