United States dollar

United States dollar

United States dollar

The United States dollar (sign: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ and referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, or American dollar) is the official currency of the United States and its insular territories per the United States Constitution since 1792. For most practical purposes, it is divided into 100 smaller cent (¢) units, but is occasionally divided into 1000 mills (₥) for accounting purposes. The circulating paper money consists of Federal Reserve Notes that are denominated in United States dollars.

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Since the suspension in 1971 of convertibility of paper U.S. currency into any precious metal, the U.S. dollar is, de facto, fiat money. As it is the most used in international transactions, the U.S. dollar is the world's primary reserve currency. Several countries use it as their official currency, and in many others it is the de facto currency. Besides the United States, it is also used as the sole currency in two British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean: the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. A few countries use the Federal Reserve Notes for paper money, while still minting their own coins, or also accept U.S. dollar coins (such as the Sacagawea or presidential dollar). As of March 21, 2018, there are approximately $1.63 trillion in circulation, of which $1.59 trillion is in Federal Reserve notes (the remaining $40 billion is in the form of coins).

 

Coins

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Official United States coins have been produced every year from 1792 to the present.
 
Denomination
COMMON NAME
FRONT
REVERSE
PORTRAIT AND DESIGN DATE
REVERSE MOTIF AND DESIGN DATE
WEIGHT
DIAMETER
MATERIAL
EDGE
CIRCULATION
Cent
1¢
penny
US One Cent Obv.png
US One Cent Rev.png
Abraham Lincoln
Union Shield
2.5 g
(0.088 oz)
0.75 in
(19.05 mm)
97.5% Zn
2.5% Cu
plain
Wide
Five-Cent
5¢
nickel
US Nickel 2013 Obv.png
US Nickel 2013 Rev.png
Thomas Jefferson
Monticello
5 g
(0.176 oz)
0.835 in
(21.21 mm)
75% Cu
25% Ni
plain
Wide
Dime
10¢
dime
Dime Obverse 13.png
Dime Reverse 13.png
Franklin D. Roosevelt
olive branch, torch, oak branch
0.08 oz
(2.268 g)
0.705 in
(17.91 mm)
91.67% Cu
8.33% Ni
118 reeds
Wide
Quarter Dollar
25¢
quarter
2014 ATB Quarter Obv.png
America-the-Beautiful-Quarters-George-Rogers-Clark-Indiana.jpg
George Washington
Various; five designs per year
0.2 oz
(5.67 g)
0.955 in
(24.26 mm)
91.67% Cu
8.33% Ni
119 reeds
Wide
Half Dollar
50¢
half
US Half Dollar Obverse 2015.png
US 50 Cent Rev.png
John F. Kennedy
Presidential Seal
0.4 oz
(11.34 g)
1.205 in
(30.61 mm)
91.67% Cu
8.33% Ni
150 reeds
Limited
Dollar coin
$1
dollar coin, golden dollar
Sacagawea dollar obverse.png
2018 Native American Dollar Reverse.jpg
Profile of Sacagawea with her child, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau
Bald eagle in flight (2000–2008), Various; new design per year
0.286 oz
(8.10 g)
1.043 in
(26.50 mm)
88.5% Cu
6% Zn
3.5% Mn
2% Ni
Lettered
Limited
 

Banknotes

Denomination
FRONT
REVERSE
PORTRAIT
REVERSE MOTIF
FIRST SERIES
LATEST SERIES
CIRCULATION
One Dollar
Onedolar2009series.jpg
US one dollar bill, reverse, series 2009.jpg
George Washington
Great Seal of the United States
Series 1935
Series 2017[50]
Wide
Two Dollars
US $2 obverse.jpg
US $2 reverse.jpg
Thomas Jefferson
Trumbull's Declaration of Independence
Series 1976
Series 2013
Limited
Five Dollars
US $5 Series 2006 obverse.jpg
US $5 Series 2006 reverse.jpg
Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln Memorial
Series 2006
Series 2013
Wide
Ten Dollars
US10dollarbill-Series 2004A.jpg
US $10 Series 2004 reverse.jpg
Alexander Hamilton
U.S. Treasury
Series 2004A
Series 2013
Wide
Twenty Dollars
US20-front.jpg
US20-back.jpg
Andrew Jackson
White House
Series 2004
Series 2013
Wide
Fifty Dollars
50 USD Series 2004 Note Front.jpg
50 USD Series 2004 Note Back.jpg
Ulysses S. Grant
United States Capitol
Series 2004
Series 2013
Wide
One Hundred Dollars
Obverse of the series 2009 $100 Federal Reserve Note.jpg
New100back.jpg
Benjamin Franklin
Independence Hall
Series 2009
Series 2013
Wide
The U.S. Constitution provides that Congress shall have the power to "borrow money on the credit of the United States". Congress has exercised that power by authorizing Federal Reserve Banks to issue Federal Reserve Notes. Those notes are "obligations of the United States" and "shall be redeemed in lawful money on demand at the Treasury Department of the United States, in the city of Washington, District of Columbia, or at any Federal Reserve bank". Federal Reserve Notes are designated by law as "legal tender" for the payment of debts. Congress has also authorized the issuance of more than 10 other types of banknotes, including the United States Note and the Federal Reserve Bank Note. The Federal Reserve Note is the only type that remains in circulation since the 1970s.
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