Canceled denominations of United States currency

The United States has several coins and banknotes which were proposed at one time but never adopted.

Banknotes

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A three dollar bill was proposed two times during the 1860s. A design was engraved for a potential $3 United States Note, and a 1865 law called for a $3 National Bank Note, but neither proposal came to fruition.[citation needed]

Denomination Obverse Reverse Notes
$3 note     Not to be confused with fake or privately issued obsolete notes or the three-dollar Continental currency banknotes issued during the American Revolution

Coinage

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There have been several United States coins which were proposed but never adopted. Most of the coins listed below, although never adopted, were produced in limited numbers as patterns.

Denomination Obverse Reverse Weight Diameter Material Edge Minted Notes
Silver center cent
    4.48 g 24.00 mm Cu (ring)
Ag (plug)
reeded 1792 The first and only US bi-metallic coin until the 2000 Library of Congress ten dollar coin.
Ring cent
    various weights 90% Cu

10% Ag[a]

various 1850–1851, 1853[b], 1884–1885 196 ring cents (originals and restrikes) are known to exist.[1] Examples exist with or without a hole.
Aluminum cent
    0.937 g 19.05 mm 96% Al
4% trace metals
plain 1973–1975 1,579,324 coins dated 1974 were produced, but were not put in circulation and nearly all were later destroyed.[2]
Two-cent billon
    3.84 g ~13.00 mm 90% Cu
10% Ag
plain 1836 [3]
Two and a half cent piece
2.5¢
unknown unknown unknown unknown never minted Proposed in 1916 by US mint director Robert W. Woolley.[4]
Civil War tokens of this denomination exist.
Three-cent bronze
    10.89 g 28.57 mm 95% Cu
5% Zn
plain 1863
Ring nickel
    plain 1884–1885 [5][6]
Gold ring half dollar
50¢
    1852 [7]
Gold ring dollar
$1
    1849, 1852 [8][9]
Two dollar piece
$2
unknown unknown unknown unknown never minted Proposed but not minted.[10] Some privately struck renditions exist.[11]
Stella
$4
    7.00 g 22 mm 6.00g Au
0.30g Ag
0.70g Cu
reeded 1879–1880 [12]
Half-union
$50
    83.58 g 50.80 mm 90% Au
10% Cu[c]
reeded 1877 Commemorative coins of this denomination were issued in 1915.[14]

Several bullion coins are produced in this denomination.

Union
$100
    unknown unknown 90% Au
10% Cu
unknown never minted Canceled before any patterns could be minted (fantasy coin shown).

Some commemorative and bullion coins are minted in this denomination.

Notes

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  1. ^ Pattern coins for the ring cent were struck in various metals, including copper, aluminum, and nickel, as well as billon.
  2. ^ 1853 ring cents are restrikes dated 1850, although they can be distinguished from the original 1850 cents in that they use a different reverse design.
  3. ^ Although circulation strikes of the Half Union were to be 90% gold 10% copper, only two of the twenty known pattern coins were struck with this composition. The other 18 were struck in 100% copper, although some were later plated with gold by the mint.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "1792-1856". uspatterns.stores.yahoo.net. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  2. ^ Yeoman 2014, p. 123.
  3. ^ Yeoman 2014, p. 375.
  4. ^ "Mint proposed 2.5-cent piece in 1916". Coin World. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  5. ^ "J1724/P1934". uspatterns.com. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  6. ^ "J1742/P1954". uspatterns.com. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  7. ^ "J135/P162". uspatterns.com. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  8. ^ "J115/P130". uspatterns.com. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  9. ^ "J136/P163". uspatterns.com. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  10. ^ "Dr. Sol Taylor: Our Odd-Denomination Coins". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "Coin Designs by Daniel Carr. 1987-2001 Apollo Astronaut dollar, two dollar bi-metallic circulating coins". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  12. ^ Yeoman 2014, p. 254.
  13. ^ "Fifty Dollar". uspatterns.stores.yahoo.net. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  14. ^ Yeoman 2014, p. 289.

Bibliography

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