5¢ 25¢ 1¢ 10¢ HISTORY OF COINS The world's fi rst coins appeared around 600 B.C., jingling around in pockets of Lydians, who lived in present day Turkey. They featured the head of a lion and were made of electrum in present day Turkey. They featured the head of a lion and were made of electrum, a mix of gold and silver. ANATOMY OF A COIN Coins were also made with metals like nickel, cupronickel and aluminium bronze. The fi rst coins circulated in the United States were called " cents " (pennies) in 1793. These were made entirely from copper. Can you name the U.S. presidents who are on the quarter, dime, nickel and penny we use today? (Check your answers below.) Many coins have unique or detailed designs on both sides. The side with a face of a famous or important person or leader is called the obverse. We call it heads. The other side, usually listing the amount of the coin, is called the reverse. We call it tails. FUN FACTS ABOUT COINS a person who studies and collects coins is called a NUMISMATIST! some coins have HOLES in them so they can be strung on cords for carrying. the bahamas has a coin that is SQUARE with rounded corners. the PIGGY BANK was invented over 600 years ago when people would store their money in pots made of a clay known as " pygg. " the most since the word sounds a lot like pig, english potters began shaping the clay banks in the shape of pigs. valuable coin is an 1849 CORONET HEAD GOLD $20 DOUBLE EAGLE worth over $17 MILLION DOLLARS! ANSWERS - George Washington is on the quarter; Franklin D. Roosevelt is on the dime; Thomas Jefferson is on the nickel; and Abraham Lincoln is on the penny. COINS COOLare