2 cent coin (United States)

2 cent coin from 1870

The two-cent coin was a bronze coin with a value of 1/50 of a US dollar , which was minted from 1864 to 1873. Compared to 1873, the coin would have a purchasing power of $ 0.40 in 2012 .

history

The two-cent coin owed its existence and appearance to the American Civil War , which resulted in coins being hoarded. With the "Coinage Act of 1864" of April 22, 1864, Congress decided, in addition to the introduction of a 2-cent coin and the change in the composition of the 1-cent coin, the responsibility for inscriptions on coins from the legislation of Congress transfer responsibility to the United States Treasury Department . This regulation simplified the design of the 2-cent coin as the first coin with the motto " In God We Trust ", whereby a frequent suggestion of Christian activists during the civil war could be taken up. The coin was designed by James B. Longacrewho, as chief engraver of the United States Mint , designed the " Indian Head Cent ", which has been used since 1859, among other things .

composition

Another consequence of the war was their relatively low weight in comparison to previous coins and their material composition. The coin has a diameter of 23 mm and, at 6.22 g, is exactly twice as heavy as the version of the "Indian Head Cent", also introduced in 1864, which at 3.11 g is significantly lighter than the 4.7 g that was minted up to then Coins made of cupronickel was. Instead of using expensive nickel , the 1 and 2 cent coins were now alloyed from bronze with 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc .

Web links

Commons : United States two cent coin  - collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 0.02 USD 1873 in 2012 . WolframAlpha. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
2. ↑ History of the 2-cent coin