US coin trivia
The United States Mint came into existence in Philadelphia in 1792, but did not start minting coins until the next year. The first coins made were copper cents and half-cents. The cents were between a quarter and a half dollar in size, and remained that size until 1856-57.
The word "dollar" is reputed to have derived from a corruption of the German word "taler", which was a huge silver coin that was roughly equivalent to what was to become the US silver dollar.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, nearly all depictions of people on US coins were allegorical figures of the goddess of Liberty, either as a Caucasian woman, or a Caucasian-looking woman depicted as an Indian.
Up until 1857, gold and silver coins of foreign countries could be used as legal tender in the United States.
In 1867, you could have an amazing array of coins in your pocket, including: half cents, large cents, small cents, 2-cent pieces, 3-cent pieces (available in silver and copper-nickel versions), 5-cent pieces (also available in silver and copper-nickel versions), dimes, quarters, half dollars, dollars (available in silver and gold versions), $2.50 gold pieces, $3 gold pieces, $5 gold pieces, $10 gold pieces, and $20 gold pieces.
The first historical figure who was depicted on a US coin was Christopher Columbus, who was featured on a half dollar that was specially minted for the 1892-93 Columbian Exposition that was held in Chicago, Illinois. The first historical woman who was depicted on a US coin was Queen Isabella of Spain, who appeared on a quarter that was also specially minted in 1893 for the Columbian Exposition.
The first President to appear on a US coin was George Washington, who shared space with General Lafayette on the so-called Lafayette Dollar that was only minted in 1899 (although it is dated 1900).
Washington would again be featured on another US commemorative coin in 1926, the Sesquicentennial half dollar, which is also the only US coin to depict a US President (Calvin Coolidge) who was alive at the time it was minted. Six years after that, Washington got his own regular-issue coin, replacing the short-lived (1916-1930) Standing Liberty quarter.
There have been 5 historical people who have been depicted on US coins while they were still living: Calvin Coolidge, as mentioned earlier; Governor Thomas Kilby of Alabama (1921); Senator Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas (1936); Senator Carter Glass of Virginia (1936); and Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1995).