Coin collecting is one of the oldest hobbies and was once practiced only by kings and the wealthy.
From ancient Egyptian coins to today's circulating cents, coins have a rich and fascinating history. The first coins date back to 650 B.C. - more than 2,600 years ago - in Lydia, an area that today is part of Turkey.
The first United States coins were copper cents, which were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1793. At that time, production was manually intensive and the coins were struck one at a time. Today, about seven hundred coins can be produced in one minute.
Check out the United States Mint's Virtual Tour; a behind the scenes look at how we produce both circulating coins and numismatic products!
