Hobbies And Interests
Pennies
The penny has been through surprising transformations over the years. While it was originally pure copper, after 1837 the composition changed and pennies were made of bronze. Bronze, however, only lasted until 1857 when pennies were made of 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel. Those pennies were somewhat white in appearance. From 1864 to 1962 the penny was back to bronze, with the exception of 1943 when they were made with zinc-coated steel to conserve copper for the war effort. A rare number of copper pennies did find their way through the mint in 1943; those pennies are highly valued by collectors. From 1962 to 1982, pennies were 95 percent copper and zinc. And finally, the penny of the 21st century is made from 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper.
Nickels
Nickels of the 21st century are made of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. The nickel first appeared in the United States in 1866 and was so named to differentiate it from a silver half dime that existed at the time. Interestingly, during 1943, the nickel was considered a strategic metal for the war effort and nickels were primarily made of silver. Silver nickels were made until 1945.
Dimes
Dimes of the 21st century are made of 8.33 percent nickel and 91.67 percent copper. The name "dime" comes from the Latin word "decimus" meaning one tenth. The French originally came up with the idea of dividing money into ten parts in the 1500s.
Shortly after former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's death citizens began requesting that his image be put on a coin. The Roosevelt dime was released on his birthday, January 30, in 1946.
Quarters
The first quarters were minted in silver in 1796, but it wasn't until 1804 when the denomination, 25c, was added to the reverse of the coin. George Washington has been on the quarter since the 200th anniversary of his birth in 1932. Washington's face has been on the quarter ever since with the exception of 1975 and 1976 when the original eagle design was minted to celebrate the country's bicentennial. Quarters, since 1965, are clad, meaning they have a copper core clad in a mixture of copper and nickel. They are 8.33 percent nickel and 91.67 percent copper.