Why did they decide to call a cent a penny?

The British pound was not divided into 100 cents like our dollar, but its smallest part was called a penny, and that's why we call our cent a “penny” today. But for more than one, the British called them “pence” while ours are called “pennies.” According to usmint.gov

are they actually going to make a 20 dollar bill?

The 20 dollar bill has been around basically since the existence of the US currency system. Every bill minted since 1861 can still be redeemed. The 20 dollar bill has had Andrew Jackson's face since 1928, before which it had Grover Cleveland's face on it. Some people have asked for a redesign of the bill in recent times, with a woman's portrait, but none of these bills have actually been circulated.

why is it called a dime?

The original dimes, minted in the late 1700's, were called dismes (still pronounced like dime, or deem). Disme is an archaic term in French, or another romance language (my memory isn't what it once was) that means 10. Since a dime is 10 cents, the name makes sense, and the dime isn't named after anything but its value. Hope this helped!

what if there was $50.00

Realistically, if you needed 50 dollars, you would just use a 50 dollar paper bill, or 5 ten dollar bills or 2 20 dollar bills and one 10. It would be very annoying to get 200 quarters or 50,000 pennies to pay 50 dollars. Note: there are other combinations with paper money you can use, those aren't the only ones.

Hi SammieS, Don't worry - nobody's born smart. " Nobody's born smart. We all start at zero. Can't walk, can't talk, certainly can't do algebra. Adding, reading, writing, riding a bike. Nobody's good at anything at first. There was a time when Einstein couldn't count to 10. And Shakespeare had to learn his ABCs just like the rest of us. Thankfully, we were born to learn. Slowly. Surely. You stumble, slip, crawl, fall and fail and fall. Frustrating. Confusing. Trying. Struggling. Until one day, you walk. One foot in front of the other. One idea on top of the next. Each wrong answer making your brain a little bit stronger. Failing is just another word for growing. And you keep going. This. is. learning. You just don’t get it, yet. Because the most beautiful, complex concepts in the whole universe are built on basic ideas that anyone, anywhere can understand. Whoever you are, wherever you are. You only have to know one thing: *You can learn anything*. " - Khan Academy So keep going, and you'll get the hang of it soon! Keep learning, Linda

The dime is smallest then a penny and nickel but it is greater them penny and a nickel

In 1792, when the US coin system first came to be, the coins were proportional to their value. All of them were made of precious materials, to reassure people that the abstract form of currency was still rooted in actual value. Over time, the penny and nickel were chosen to be made out of copper and nickel, respectively. Since these are cheaper than silver, the coins' size was increased to maintain that it took 1 cent to make a penny and 5 cents to make a nickel. The dime was made of silver until 1965, so it was smaller by comparison. When the dime got changed most recently, the size wasn't changed so that people wouldn't have to react to a change.

Main content

Early math review

Course: Early math review > Unit 7

Lesson 9: Money

U.S. coins review

Google Classroom

Review the value of U.S. coins, and try some practice problems.

U.S. Coins

The most commonly used coins in U.S. money are start color #11accd, start text, q, u, a, r, t, e, r, s, end text, end color #11accd, start color #1fab54, start text, d, i, m, e, s, end text, end color #1fab54, start color #7854ab, start text, n, i, c, k, e, l, s, end text, end color #7854ab, and start color #ca337c, start text, p, e, n, n, i, e, s, end text, end color #ca337c.

Quarters

start color #11accd, start text, Q, u, a, r, t, e, r, s, end text, end color #11accd are worth start color #11accd, 25, end color #11accd cents. Below is an image of the front and back of a quarter.

Dimes

start color #1fab54, start text, D, i, m, e, s, end text, end color #1fab54 are worth start color #1fab54, 10, end color #1fab54 cents. Below is an image of the front and back of a dime.

Nickels

start color #7854ab, start text, N, i, c, k, e, l, s, end text, end color #7854ab are worth start color #7854ab, 5, end color #7854ab cents. Below is an image of the front and back of a nickel.

Pennies

start color #ca337c, start text, P, e, n, n, i, e, s, end text, end color #ca337c are worth start color #ca337c, 1, end color #ca337c cent. Below is an image of the front and back of a penny.

Want to learn more about U.S. coins? Check out this video.

Counting coins

Let's look at an example:

What is the total value of the coins below?

One quarter is start color #11accd, 25, end color #11accd cents.

start color #11accd, 25, end color #11accd cents

A dime is start color #1fab54, 10, end color #1fab54 cents, and there are 2 dimes. Skip count by start color #1fab54, 10, end color #1fab54's two times from start color #11accd, 25, end color #11accd cents:

start color #11accd, 25, end color #11accd, comma, start color #1fab54, 35, end color #1fab54, comma, start color #1fab54, 45, end color #1fab54 cents

A nickel is start color #7854ab, 5, end color #7854ab cents, and there are 2 nickels. Skip count by start color #7854ab, 5, end color #7854ab's two times from start color #1fab54, 45, end color #1fab54 cents:

start color #1fab54, 45, end color #1fab54, comma, start color #7854ab, 50, end color #7854ab, comma, start color #7854ab, 55, end color #7854ab cents

A penny is start color #ca337c, 1, end color #ca337c cent, and there are 4 pennies. Count by start color #ca337c, 1, end color #ca337c's four times from start color #7854ab, 55, end color #7854ab cents

start color #7854ab, 55, end color #7854ab, comma, start color #ca337c, 56, end color #ca337c, comma, start color #ca337c, 57, end color #ca337c, comma, start color #ca337c, 58, end color #ca337c, comma, start color #ca337c, 59, end color #ca337c

The total value of the coins is 59 cents.

Practice

Problem 1

Current

What is the total value of the coins below?

cents

Want to try more problems like this? Check out this exercise.

Want to join the conversation?

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Aulia Aliyev
Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to Aulia Aliyev's post “Why did they decide to ca...”
Why did they decide to call a cent a penny?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Aulia Aliyev's post “Why did they decide to ca...”
(10 votes)
Answer
- Danny
  Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to Danny's post “The British pound was not...”
  The British pound was not divided into 100 cents like our dollar, but its smallest part was called a penny, and that's why we call our cent a “penny” today. But for more than one, the British called them “pence” while ours are called “pennies.”
  According to usmint.gov
  Comment on Danny's post “The British pound was not...”
  (20 votes)
schrelia000
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to schrelia000's post “are they actually going t...”
are they actually going to make a 20 dollar bill?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(5 votes)
Answer
- Hecretary Bird
  Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to Hecretary Bird's post “The 20 dollar bill has be...”
  The 20 dollar bill has been around basically since the existence of the US currency system. Every bill minted since 1861 can still be redeemed. The 20 dollar bill has had Andrew Jackson's face since 1928, before which it had Grover Cleveland's face on it. Some people have asked for a redesign of the bill in recent times, with a woman's portrait, but none of these bills have actually been circulated.
  Comment on Hecretary Bird's post “The 20 dollar bill has be...”
  (5 votes)
Dexter
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to Dexter's post “why is it called a dime?”
why is it called a dime?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(5 votes)
Answer
- Hecretary Bird
  Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to Hecretary Bird's post “The original dimes, minte...”
  The original dimes, minted in the late 1700's, were called dismes (still pronounced like dime, or deem). Disme is an archaic term in French, or another romance language (my memory isn't what it once was) that means 10. Since a dime is 10 cents, the name makes sense, and the dime isn't named after anything but its value. Hope this helped!
  Comment on Hecretary Bird's post “The original dimes, minte...”
  (6 votes)
Jannatin Naim
Posted 25 days ago. Direct link to Jannatin Naim's post “Rip to all non-US people ...”
Rip to all non-US people taking this. :")
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Jannatin Naim's post “Rip to all non-US people ...”
(6 votes)
Answer
1104347
Posted 2 years ago. Direct link to 1104347's post “what if there was $50.00”
what if there was $50.00
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(3 votes)
Answer
- Austin
  Posted 2 years ago. Direct link to Austin's post “Realistically, if you nee...”
  Realistically, if you needed 50 dollars, you would just use a 50 dollar paper bill, or 5 ten dollar bills or 2 20 dollar bills and one 10. It would be very annoying to get 200 quarters or 50,000 pennies to pay 50 dollars.
  
  Note: there are other combinations with paper money you can use, those aren't the only ones.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)
Adel
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Adel's post “when did they think of wo...”
when did they think of words who were the first people
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(4 votes)
Answer
SammieS
Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to SammieS's post “why am i so dum”
why am i so dum
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(3 votes)
Answer
- Linda He
  Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to Linda He's post “Hi SammieS, Don't worry ...”
  Hi SammieS,
  
  Don't worry - nobody's born smart.
  
  "
  Nobody's born smart. We all start at zero. Can't walk, can't talk, certainly can't do algebra. Adding, reading, writing, riding a bike. Nobody's good at anything at first.
  There was a time when Einstein couldn't count to 10.
  And Shakespeare had to learn his ABCs just like the rest of us.
  Thankfully, we were born to learn.
  Slowly. Surely. You stumble, slip, crawl, fall and fail and fall.
  Frustrating. Confusing. Trying. Struggling.
  Until one day, you walk.
  One foot in front of the other. One idea on top of the next.
  Each wrong answer making your brain a little bit stronger.
  Failing is just another word for growing. And you keep going.
  This. is. learning.
  You just don’t get it, yet. Because the most beautiful, complex concepts in the whole universe
  are built on basic ideas that anyone, anywhere can understand.
  Whoever you are, wherever you are.
  You only have to know one thing:
  You can learn anything.
  
  " - Khan Academy
  
  So keep going, and you'll get the hang of it soon!
  
  Keep learning,
  Linda
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)
BOBA_ENTHUSIAST (Bea)
Posted 3 months ago. Direct link to BOBA_ENTHUSIAST (Bea)'s post “This section is very anno...”
This section is very annoying and hard for me because I live Australia and have never seen this kind of money before. Please can you put a setting on this website where you can only do tests with money from your country.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on BOBA_ENTHUSIAST (Bea)'s post “This section is very anno...”
(3 votes)
Answer
- Quacken 64
  Posted a day ago. Direct link to Quacken 64's post “I'm from Canada and i hav...”
  I'm from Canada and i have never seen the us currency As well but it was kinda hard i guess.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (1 vote)
Sarvesh.V
Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to Sarvesh.V's post “Why can't they make it mo...”
Why can't they make it more simple to understand?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(3 votes)
Answer
mosa akter
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to mosa akter's post “The dime is smallest then...”
The dime is smallest then a penny and nickel but it is greater them penny and a nickel
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(2 votes)
Answer
- Hecretary Bird
  Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to Hecretary Bird's post “In 1792, when the US coin...”
  In 1792, when the US coin system first came to be, the coins were proportional to their value. All of them were made of precious materials, to reassure people that the abstract form of currency was still rooted in actual value. Over time, the penny and nickel were chosen to be made out of copper and nickel, respectively. Since these are cheaper than silver, the coins' size was increased to maintain that it took 1 cent to make a penny and 5 cents to make a nickel. The dime was made of silver until 1965, so it was smaller by comparison. When the dime got changed most recently, the size wasn't changed so that people wouldn't have to react to a change.
  Comment on Hecretary Bird's post “In 1792, when the US coin...”
  (2 votes)