What is American Money Made Of

So you’ve started wondering, what exactly is American money made of? Not because you plan on making any (of course), but just out of general curiosity.

If this is you, you’ve come to the right place. The purpose of this article is to provide you with the exact composition of each denomination of the American currency.

In each specific section below, we will talk about the current and historical composition of American money. But for those who just want a snapshot of each coin, I’ve included a table below which gives a quick overview of the current composition of American money.

What is American Money Made Of?

American Money	Composition
Penny	97.5% Zinc, 2.5% Copper
Nickel	75% Copper, 25% Nickel
Dime	91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Quarter	91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Half Dollar	91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Dollar Coin	88.5% Copper, 6% Zinc, 3.5% Manganese, 2% Nickel
Paper Money	75% Cotton, 25% Linen

American coins are mostly made up of Copper and Nickel, with the exception of the penny which is composed of Zinc and Copper. While the American dollar is composed of Copper and Nickel, it also contains Zinc and Manganese. American paper money is composed of Cotton and Linen.

Throughout the next section of this article, we will take a deeper dive into each coin and look at when they were first introduced as legal tender. From there, we will look at the coins historical composition and how it’s evolved and changed over time.

Composition of the Penny

The current composition of the American Penny is 97.5% Zinc and 2.5% Copper.

Current Composition of the Penny	First Introduced	Still Legal Tender?
97.5% Zinc, 2.5% Copper	1787	Yes

Historical Composition of the Penny

Years	Composition
1982–present	97.5% Zinc, 2.5% Copper
1962–1982	95% Copper, 5% Zinc
1947–1962	95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
1944–1946	95% Copper, 5% Zinc
1943	Zinc-Coated Steel
1864–1942	95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
1856–1864	88% Copper, 12% Nickel
1795–1857	100% Copper
1793–1795	100% Copper

Composition of the Nickel

The current composition of the American Nickel is 75% Copper and 25% Nickel

Current Composition of the Nickel	First Introduced	Still Legal Tender?
75% Copper, 25% Nickel	1866	Yes

*Unable to find precise historical data on the exact composition of the Nickel.

Composition of the Dime

The current composition of the American Dime is 91.67% Copper and 8.33% Nickel.

Current Composition of the Dime	First Introduced	Still Legal Tender?
91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel	1796	Yes

Historical Composition of the Dime

Years	Composition
1965-Present	91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
1837-1965	90% Silver, 10% Copper
1796-1837	89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper

Composition of the Quarter

The current composition of the American Quarter is 91.67% Copper and 8.33% Nickel.

Current Composition of the Quarter	First Introduced	Still Legal Tender?
91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel	1796	Yes

Historical Composition of the Quarter

Years	Composition
1965-Present	91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
1932-1964	90% Copper, 10% Nickel
1796-1931	Unknown

Composition of the Half Dollar

The most recent composition of the American Half Dollar was 91.67% Copper and 8.33% Nickel.

Current Composition of the Half Dollar	First Introduced	Still Legal Tender?
91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel	1794	Yes, but not still being Minted

Historical Composition of the Half Dollar

Years	Composition
1971– 2002*	97.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
1965-1970	60% Copper, 40% Silver
1964	90% Silver, 10% Copper
1794-1963	Unknown

Composition of the Dollar Coin

The most recent composition of the American Dollar Coin was 88.5% Copper, 6% Zinc, 3.5% Manganese, 2% Nickel.

Current Composition of the Dollar Coin	First Introduced	Still Legal Tender?
88.5% Copper, 6% Zinc, 3.5% Manganese, 2% Nickel	1794	Yes. Only produced as collectibles.

*Unable to find precise historical data on the exact composition of the Dollar.

Composition of American Paper Money

The current composition of American Paper Money is 75% cotton and 25% Linen.

Current Composition of American Paper Money	First Introduced	Still Legal Tender?
75% Cotton, 25% Linen	1690	Yes

Conclusion

So there you have it – an in depth look at the current and historical composition of the American currency.

If you know of any change in the composition of these coins, please let us know at our contact us page. The goal here is to keep this resource as up to date as possible, so please let us know. We won’t be offended, I promise!

For a similar article, but one that covers both the American and Canadian currencies, check out our article What is Money Made Of | A Complete Guide.

As always, thanks for reading!

Geek, out.

What is American Money Made Of | A Complete Guide

What is American Money Made Of?