What is a coin used for?

A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by a government. Coins often have images, numerals, or text on them.

What is a coin made of?

A coin is a piece of hard material, traditionally metal and usually in the shape of a disc, which is used as a form of money. Traditionally the value of a coin comes from the intrinsic value of the component metal, but in modern times most coins are made of a base metal and their value comes strictly from their status as fiat money.

What coins are minted in the United States?

Circulating coins exist in denominations of 1¢ (i.e. 1 cent or $0.01), 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1.00. Also minted are bullion, including gold, silver and platinum, and commemorative coins. All of these are produced by the United States Mint.

What is a precious metal based coin?

A coin is generally made of metal or an alloy, or sometimes of human-made materials. Precious metal –based coins had the advantage of carrying their value within the coins themselves. On the other hand, they induced manipulations, such as the clipping of coins to remove some of the precious metal.