Fun Facts

Rain or shine, you can visit the Philadelphia Mint. That wasn’t always true... Back in 1825, you couldn't visit when it was raining. The following is from the official rules and regulations that were adopted that year: "Visitors may be admitted by permission of an officer to see the various operations of the Mint on all working days except Saturdays and rainy days."
The whole country makes money when the Mint makes money... Why? The answer is "seigniorage"—the difference between the cost of making a coin and its face value. (For example, it costs only a few cents to make a quarter, yet its face value is 25 cents.) This profit runs the Mint and puts extra funds into the country's Treasury—funds then spent on education, health care, defense, and other services for the nation.
Five-cent coins minted from 1942 to 1945 aren’t nickels... Why? Because they don't have any nickel in them! During that time, the United States Mint used a special wartime alloy instead—copper (56%), silver (35%), and manganese (9%). That way all the saved nickel could be used in the war effort.
“Clipping” is not just an offense in football... Before they were made by machines, coins weren't perfectly round. They also didn't have reeded (grooved) edges. This made it easy for people to shave off pieces of precious metal. After "clipping" a coin this way, people then illegally spent the coin for its original value. Some people were even put to death for this crime in 17th century London.