🔢 MathGrade 2Lesson 35
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Identify Coins and Notes

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Identify US coins (penny, nickel, dime, quarter) by name and appearance
  • 2State the value of each coin in cents and each bill in dollars
  • 3Recite key coin equivalencies (e.g., 4 quarters = $1.00, 10 dimes = $1.00)
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Mini Lesson

Money is how we pay for things. In the United States, we use coins and dollar bills (also called notes). Every coin and bill has a name and a value.

The four main coins

  • Penny — worth 1 cent (1¢). Copper colored. Abraham Lincoln on the front.
  • Nickel — worth 5 cents (5¢). Silver colored, thicker than a dime. Thomas Jefferson on the front.
  • Dime — worth 10 cents (10¢). Silver colored, the smallest coin. Franklin D. Roosevelt on the front.
  • Quarter — worth 25 cents (25¢). Silver colored, the largest of the four. George Washington on the front.

Dollar bills

  • $1 bill — worth 100 cents ($1.00). George Washington on the front.
  • $5 bill — worth 500 cents ($5.00). Abraham Lincoln on the front.

Helpful equivalencies

  • 5 pennies = 1 nickel (5 × 1¢ = 5¢)
  • 2 nickels = 1 dime (2 × 5¢ = 10¢)
  • 5 nickels = 1 quarter (5 × 5¢ = 25¢)
  • 10 dimes = 1 dollar (10 × 10¢ = $1.00)
  • 4 quarters = 1 dollar (4 × 25¢ = $1.00)
The four US coins: penny, nickel, dime, quarterFour coins shown in a row: a copper penny worth 1 cent, a silver nickel worth 5 cents, a small silver dime worth 10 cents, and a silver quarter worth 25 cents. Each lists the president on the front. Below is a strip of coin equivalencies.US CoinsPENNYLincoln1¢copperNICKELJefferson5¢silver, thickDIMERoosevelt10¢smallestQUARTERWashington25¢silver, largeCoin Equivalencies5 pennies = 1 nickel2 nickels = 1 dime5 nickels = 1 quarter4 quarters = $1.0010 dimes = 1 dollar
The four US coins with their values and equivalencies: penny (1¢), nickel (5¢), dime (10¢), quarter (25¢).
US dollar bills: one dollar and five dollarsTwo illustrated dollar bills. The top bill is green and labeled One Dollar Bill with George Washington. The bottom bill is green and labeled Five Dollar Bill with Abraham Lincoln. Each shows its value and equivalencies.US Dollar Bills (Notes)G.Washington$1ONE DOLLAR= 100¢ = 4 quarters = 10 dimes1111A.Lincoln$5FIVE DOLLARS= 500¢ = 5 one-dollar bills5555Bills are also called notes — they are made of paper.
The $1 bill (George Washington, = 100¢) and the $5 bill (Abraham Lincoln, = 500¢).
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Say each coin's name and value together — "Quarter, twenty-five cents!" — until you know them without thinking.

Vocabulary
Coin
A round piece of metal moneye.g. A penny is the smallest U.S. coin in value.
Note
Paper money, also called a bille.g. A 5 dollar note has Abraham Lincoln on it.
Penny
A coin worth 1 cente.g. Five pennies make one nickel.
Nickel
A coin worth 5 centse.g. Two nickels make one dime.
Dime
A coin worth 10 centse.g. Ten dimes make one dollar.
Quarter
A coin worth 25 centse.g. Four quarters make one dollar.
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← Lesson 34: Fractions — Thirds and Equal Parts of SetsLesson 36: Add and Subtract Money →