page_title: Numismatic history of the United States
section_title: Turn of the 20th century coinage, the introduction of paper money and the end of gold coins (1892 - 1932)
hierarchical_section_title: Numismatic history of the United States / Turn of the 20th century coinage, the introduction of paper money and the end of gold coins (1892 - 1932)
caption_attribution_description: English: The obverse of a Mercury dime minted in 1943 in Denver. The mint mark is on the reverse of the coin (see other related file). This coin is uncirculated exhibiting full luster and strike.
context_page_description: The numismatic history of the United States began with Colonial coins and paper money; most notably the foreign but widely accepted Spanish piece of eight, ultimately descended from the Joachimsthaler and the direct ancestor of the U.S. Dollar.
  Paper money would not be printed by the United States until 1861.
context_section_description: The year 1892 saw the designs of Charles E. Barber adorn the dime, quarter and half dollar. His Liberty Head nickel had debuted in 1883, and thus from the years 1892 to 1904, his designs were featured on every denomination from 5 cents up to one dollar. The Barber design would last on dimes and quarters up to 1916, on half dollars up to 1915, and on the nickel up to the extremely rare and famous 1913 Liberty Head nickels.
  Federal Reserve Notes were issued for the first time in 1917. Originally, these were backed by gold, and a note could be, at least in theory, exchanged for gold coin at a bank until 1933 when gold was confiscated from the general public. Silver certificates were exchangeable for silver coin up to June 1968.
  The design of the American One dollar bill has stayed almost the same since 1935, and the other denominations had a similar appearance until their redesign in the late 1990s.
  The Gold Eagle was re-designed in 1907 as the Indian Head eagle and the $2.50 and $5 pieces followed in 1908. The Liberty Head Double Eagle was replaced with the St. Gaudens Double Eagle in 1907. The wheat penny, with the head of Lincoln on the obverse, was introduced in 1909. The wheat penny was the first American coin that featured the face of an actual person (rather than Liberty). Also, the Buffalo nickel and Mercury dime were both introduced in the 1910s (1913 and 1916, respectively).
  The Peace Dollar was minted from 1921 to 1935. After 1935, no more silver dollars would be minted for circulation by the US Mint. 90% silver dimes, quarters and half dollars were replaced with copper-nickel coins after 1964. From 1965 to 1976, 40% silver coins were issued in certain denominations. Of these, only the 1965 to 1969 dated Kennedy Half Dollars were minted for general circulation. No precious metals were present in any coins issued after 1977 by the US Mint until the bullion and commemorative series that began in the 1980s and continue to the present day.
caption: A mercury dime
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