US Dollars – What Banknotes and Coins Look Like in the USA
The official currency of the USA is the US dollar. There are seven denominations of banknotes and six denominations of coins in circulation. US presidents and other prominent historical figures are depicted on the currency. The official abbreviation for the US dollar is USD, but the dollar symbol is commonly used as $.
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Basic Information About Dollars
💲 Validity of US Dollars
Dollar bills and coins remain officially valid indefinitely; however, some older or damaged notes may not be accepted in daily commerce. These are often older series notes lacking modern security features.
🔄 How Much Is 1 Dollar In EUR?
One dollar is approximately €0.843. For quick currency conversion, you can use Google; simply search, for instance, “500 USD to EUR”.
Dollar Bills
There are dollar notes in circulation in denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. U.S. banknotes are printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which maintains production facilities in Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas.
The paper used for printing has been supplied since 1879 by Crane Currency of Massachusetts. On close examination, you can observe tiny red and blue fibers of various lengths. These synthetic fibers are evenly distributed throughout the paper.
Older notes, in particular, can be easily confused because they share a similar color palette and have the identical size of 156 × 66.3 mm. Newer banknotes feature more pronounced color differences and advanced security features. The substrate for all dollar notes consists of 75% cotton and 25% linen.
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100 Dollar Bill
The first $100 bill was issued in 1862 as a United States Note. It bears a portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the obverse, leading to nicknames such as Bens, Benjamins, Franklins, or C-Notes (referencing the Roman numeral for 100). Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and played a key role in drafting the Declaration of Independence, although he was never elected President.
Along with the $10 bill, it is the only note currently in circulation that does not feature a portrait of a U.S. President. The reverse of the $100 bill depicts Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
According to recent statistics, the $100 bill is the most widely circulated U.S. note globally. Interestingly, the average lifespan of a $100 bill is approximately 23 years. The cost of printing a single hundred-dollar bill is currently $0.097.
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50 Dollar Bill
The obverse of the $50 bill features the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, while the United States Capitol appears on the reverse. The note, often nicknamed the Grant, was first put into circulation in 1862.
The average lifespan of a $50 bill is roughly 12 years; as of recent counts, the $50 bill accounts for about 5% of all notes in circulation. Printing a single banknote costs $0.057.
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20 Dollar Bill
The $20 bill depicts the 7th U.S. President Andrew Jackson on the obverse. While a redesign featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman was announced years ago, as of January 2026, the new design has not yet entered general circulation. The reverse side of the current $20 bill depicts the White House.
The first note was introduced in 1862, and today it lasts an average of 7.8 years in circulation. Of all the notes in circulation, the $20 bill accounts for roughly 20%. The U.S. government pays approximately $0.063 to produce one note.
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10 Dollar Bill
The face of the $10 bill bears the portrait of the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Together with the $100 bill, these are the only two notes that do not feature a U.S. President. It is also the only note currently featuring a portrait that faces to the right. The reverse of the note features the Treasury Department building in Washington, D.C.
According to statistics, $10 bills make up about 4% of all banknotes in circulation and have an average lifespan of 5.3 years. First issued in 1862, one note costs $0.058 to produce.
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5 Dollar Bill
The U.S. $5 bill features a portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the obverse, while the reverse side features the Lincoln Memorial.
First issued in 1862, the note was formerly known as the “fin”, which was the German or Yiddish term for the numeral five. The average life of a five-dollar bill is 4.7 years, after which it is removed from circulation and replaced. About 6% of all banknotes are five-dollar notes. It costs $0.058 to produce one.
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2 Dollar Bill
The two-dollar bill is a rare sight in daily transactions, accounting for only about 3% of the total volume of notes printed. Merchant demand for this denomination is low, and public recognition has diminished. Occasionally, cashiers may even mistake a legitimate $2 bill for a counterfeit one.
The obverse of the note features a portrait of President Thomas Jefferson, while the reverse features a reproduction of the painting The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull. The cost of producing one note is $0.030.
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1 Dollar Bill
The one-dollar bill is the most frequently encountered denomination. It features a portrait of President George Washington on the obverse and the Great Seal of the United States with a bald eagle on the reverse.
The current-sized one-dollar bill has been in production since 1929, and has carried the legally required motto “In God We Trust” since 1957. Nicknamed the one, single, buck, or bone, the note typically lasts about 6.6 years in circulation.
The cost of producing a dollar bill remains low; as of 2025/2026, it costs $0.030.
Dollar Coins
Dollar coins circulate in denominations of 1 dollar, 50 cents, 25 cents, 10 cents, 5 cents, and 1 cent. They are minted by the United States Mint, which operates facilities in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point, New York. The United States Mint also maintains the famous bullion depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The first U.S. coins were minted in 1792. Today, dozens of coin variations are in circulation, differing mainly in the commemorative designs on their reverse sides.
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1 Dollar Coin
The modern one-dollar coin has a golden appearance; however, it does not contain real gold, but rather a copper, zinc, manganese, and nickel alloy. Silver dollar coins are also minted for collectible purposes but are not intended for general circulation. The dollar coin was first minted in 1794; its diameter is 26.5 mm, and its thickness is 2 mm.
The coin’s motif varies. The 2000 edition depicted Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman who was a guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Between 2007 and 2016, the Presidential Dollar Coin Program featured the faces of deceased U.S. presidents.
Between 2009 and 2016, the reverse side bore motifs commemorating Native American contributions to U.S. history. The 2007 presidential coins featured the Statue of Liberty on the reverse.
On the dollar coin, you may notice a letter indicating the mint that struck the coin. “P” stands for Philadelphia (minting since 1793), “S” for San Francisco (since 1854), and “W” for West Point (since 1984).
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50 Cent Coin – Half Dollar, Fifty Cent
The silver-colored 50-cent coin has a diameter of 30.61 mm, a thickness of 2.15 mm, and is decorated with 150 reeds on the edge. The coin is made of a copper-nickel clad composition and weighs 11.34 grams.
The 50-cent coins are minted with a design introduced in 1964, but public usage of this coin remains low. The obverse features a portrait of President John F. Kennedy, and the reverse features the Presidential Seal.
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25 Cent Coin – Quarter
The 25-cent coin is silver in color, 24.26 mm in diameter, and 1.75 mm thick. The quarter weighs 5.67 grams and has 119 reeds around the edge. The coin has been minted intermittently since 1796 and continuously since 1831.
The obverse bears the portrait of George Washington. The reverse design changes frequently. Between 1999 and 2009, the 50 State Quarters program honored individual US states, followed by the America the Beautiful program (2010–2021) depicting US national parks. Following the American Women Quarters program (2022–2025), new designs for 2026 celebrate the Semiquincentennial—the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
The unusual denomination of the quarter originates from 18th-century Spanish dollars, which were physically cut into eight pieces (“pieces of eight”). Americans adopted this practice of divisibility.
The production cost of a quarter is approximately $0.100.
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10 Cent Coin – Dime
The silver-colored dime has been in circulation since 1796 and is made of a copper-nickel alloy. The edge of the dime is covered with 118 reeds. The diameter of the coin is 17.91 mm, thickness 1.35 mm, and weight 2.268 g.
The nickname “dime” comes from the French word dîme (tithe or tenth). The production cost of one coin is approximately $0.050.
The current design of the dime has remained largely unchanged since 1946. The obverse bears a portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the inscription Liberty, while the reverse features a torch flanked by an olive branch and an oak branch.
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5 Cent Coin – Nickel, Five Cents
The silver-colored nickel weighs exactly 5 grams. The diameter is 21.21 mm, the thickness is 1.95 mm, and the composition is an alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper. The cost of minting one coin is $0.115, which is more than double its face value.
The obverse of the nickel features a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, while the reverse depicts Monticello, his estate near Charlottesville, Virginia. The plantation was built in 1772 by the third President of the United States.
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1 Cent Coin – Penny
The lowest denomination U.S. coin is copper in color, although 97.5% of the coin is actually zinc coated with copper. The dimensions of the penny are 19.05 mm in diameter and 1.52 mm in thickness. Weighing 2.5 g, the penny has been minted continuously since 1793. The symbol for the cent is ¢.
The cost of minting a single coin is currently $0.031, meaning penny production results in an annual loss exceeding $85,000,000.
The obverse of the one-cent coin bears a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. The reverse features the Union shield with the inscription E Pluribus Unum (“Out of many, one”), which served as the unofficial motto of the United States until 1956.
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