All skills Social Studies

Learn Index · Economics and Money Grade K–2

United States money

American coins are the penny, nickel, dime and quarter, and bills include $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.

Illustrated topic card: United States money — The US dollar is made up of 100 cents; each coin has a name, a value and a president on the front.
Illustrated topic card: United States money — The US dollar is made up of 100 cents; each coin has a name, a value and a president on the front.

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American money

Money in the United States is the U.S. dollar. One dollar is worth 100 cents. We write dollars with a $ sign and cents with a ¢ sign.

  • $1 = 100¢
  • $5 = 500¢

U.S. money comes in coins and bills.

U.S. coins

Coin Value Who is on the front Colour
Penny 1¢ Abraham Lincoln copper (brown)
Nickel 5¢ Thomas Jefferson silver
Dime 10¢ Franklin D. Roosevelt silver, small and thin
Quarter 25¢ George Washington silver
Half dollar 50¢ John F. Kennedy silver, large
Dollar coin $1 various designs gold-coloured

Fun facts:

  • The dime is the smallest coin, but it’s worth more than the penny and the nickel!
  • The quarter is worth one-fourth, or a quarter, of a dollar.
  • Many quarters have special designs on the back, showing states, national parks and famous Americans.
  • In 2025, the U.S. Mint made its last pennies for everyday use, because each one cost more than a cent to make. Pennies are still real money, and people can keep using the ones they have.

U.S. bills

U.S. bills are made of a special paper, mostly cotton and linen. They are mostly green, so people sometimes call money "greenbacks."

Bill Who is on the front
$1 George Washington
$2 Thomas Jefferson
$5 Abraham Lincoln
$10 Alexander Hamilton
$20 Andrew Jackson
$50 Ulysses S. Grant
$100 Benjamin Franklin

Newer bills have touches of colour and special security features, like pictures that change colour when you tilt them.

Who makes U.S. money?

  • The U.S. Mint makes coins.
  • The Bureau of Engraving and Printing prints bills.

Counting money

Start with the biggest coin or bill, then count up.

Example: 2 quarters + 1 dime + 3 pennies

  • 25¢ + 25¢ = 50¢
  • + 10¢ = 60¢
  • + 1¢ + 1¢ + 1¢ = 63¢

Ways to make $1

  • 1 one-dollar bill
  • 4 quarters
  • 10 dimes
  • 20 nickels
  • 100 pennies
  • 2 half dollars

Counting by…

  • pennies: count by 1s
  • nickels: count by 5s
  • dimes: count by 10s
  • quarters: count by 25s (25, 50, 75, 100)

Making change

When you pay more than the price, you get change back.

Example: A pencil costs 75¢. You pay with $1 (100¢). Your change is 25¢, one quarter.

Paying today

Many people use debit cards, credit cards and phones instead of cash, but knowing coins and bills helps you understand money.

Try it yourself

  1. Sort coins by type. Who is on each one?
  2. Count a small pile of coins.
  3. Find three ways to make 50¢.
  4. Set up a pretend store with price tags and make change.
  5. Look closely at a quarter. What’s on the back?

Quick recap

  • The U.S. uses dollars and cents; 100 cents = $1.
  • Coins include the penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar and dollar coin.
  • Bills include $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100, each with a famous American.
  • The U.S. Mint stopped making pennies for everyday use in 2025, but pennies are still money.
  • Count money by starting with the biggest value.