If you’re unfamiliar with United States currencies, figuring out how many of a given coin are in a dollar amount can be tricky.
Even for people familiar with U.S. currency, trying to figure out how many dimes, which are a small denomination, are in $5 can be a challenge.
Using some easy math, though, can make it much simpler to determine how many dimes are in any amount of money.
How many dimes are in $5?
Before we figure out how many dimes are in $5, it can be helpful to determine how many dimes are in $1. One U.S. dime is worth 10 cents. A United States dollar is worth 100 cents.
If we divide 100 by 10, we get 10, which tells us that there are 10 dimes in $1.
Now that we know how many dimes are in $1, you can find out how many dimes are in any amount of dollars by multiplying the number of dollars by 10.
For example, to find out how many dimes are in $5, we simply need to multiply 5 by 10. We get 50, which tells us that there are 50 dimes in $5.
What is a dime made of?
Dimes are made of copper and nickel. The inner portion of a dime is a thin copper disk. Outside, a nickel-copper mix gives the coin its silver coloring.
Although they don’t look copper, dimes actually contain about 75% copper.
When dimes were first introduced, they were made of silver, but the government stopped minting dimes with any silver content in 1965.
How much do dimes weigh?
Each dime minted in the United States has a diameter of 0.705 inches or 17.91 millimeters and a thickness of 0.053 inches or 1.35 millimeters.
These measurements and the dime’s metal content give a newly minted coin a total weight of 2.268 grams. Dimes are the smallest and lightest U.S. coins.
If you know how much one dime weighs, you can also find out how much $5 worth of dimes would weigh by multiplying 2.268 grams by 50.
The answer, 113.4, tells us that $5 in dimes weighs 113.4 grams or almost exactly 4 ounces.
There are 50 dimes in $5.
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What is the history of the dime?
The dime coin was first introduced in 1792, along with the penny and a now-defunct coin called the mill.
At the time, the word dime was spelled ‘disme.’ The first dimes were mostly made of silver and contained almost 90% silver and only slightly more than 10% copper.
Because they were made of such a valuable metal, dimes had to be very small so that their worth wasn’t less than the metal it took to make them.
In 1792, a small number of dimes were minted, but these coins were considered prototypes and were never circulated.
The first dimes intended for circulation were minted in 1796 and featured an image of Lady Liberty. These coins, which were minted until 1807, are now known as Draped Bust dimes.
Another dime featuring a different image of Lady Liberty followed and was minted until 1891 when a seated Lady Liberty dime was brought into circulation. Two more Liberty designs followed.
In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had served nearly four terms in office, died. To honor the president, legislation was passed to have his image placed on the dime.
The dime was chosen partially because Roosevelt had founded and was heavily involved in the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which raised money for polio research through coin collections.
The foundation was later renamed the March of Dimes. The first dimes featuring Roosevelt’s image were released in 1946, and the former president has been depicted on the coin since then.
