Coin Puzzle Answer (The stuff on this webpage was mentioned on page 91 in my book)

In Cheesie Mack Is Not a Genius or Anything, my grandfather Gumpy gave me a math problem while he was tapping his fingers together. Here’s what it was:

“Let’s say (tap, tap) there’s eighty-three cents in my pocket,” he said. “What’s the fewest number of coins I could have?”

“United States coins?” I asked.

He nodded (tap, tap).

I thought for a few seconds and answered, “Four.”

His forehead wrinkled up like he was surprised at me. “Nope. Six. A half-dollar, a quarter, a nickel, and three pennies.”

But I proved I was right . . . and he was amazed.

Did you figure it out?

Most kids think the correct answer is seven: three quarters, a nickel, and three pennies.

Massachusetts quarter New York quarterCalifornia quarterJefferson nickel

Lincoln centLincoln centLincoln cent

But that’s wrong because most kids don’t even think about a half dollar because they usually never see one. (I can’t remember the last time I held a half dollar!) But Gumpy knew about half dollars. That’s why he thought the answer was six.

half dollarMassachusetts quarterJefferson nickel

Lincoln centLincoln centLincoln cent

So why is the correct answer four coins? Because in the 19th Century—at two different times, 1851-1873 and 1865-1889—the United States minted three-cent coins. I learned that when I was researching the 1909 Lincoln Cent that Georgie and I found in his basement.

half dollarMassachusetts quarterJefferson nickel

I dont know which side is heads.

I have never seen a three-cent coin for real.

This is the other side of the three-cent coin. It doesn't have a head on it, either.
If you want to try to puzzle your family and friends with questions like this, you need to know that the United States also had twenty-cent, two-cent, and half-cent coins.


Update: Look what I got in the mail!

Dear Cheesie Mack: I saw on your website that you have never seen a real 3-cent US coin, so I thought I would send you this one. My father, who is a numismatist (which is a word I know you know), found it in his collection. It was minted in 1869. This coin has a hole in it because it was probably worn on a necklace or sewn onto a dress. Andy

 

Here’s what was in the letter.  I made the image much, much larger so the details are visible. You can see that it’s not the same as the three-cent coin above. The USA made two different designs in the 19th century. And now I actually own one. How cool is that?!

3 cent coin, front3 cent coin, back

Book 1

Mystery, mice, and money at the end of fifth grade!

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