What are the names of US coins?

There are currently 6 circulating denominations of US Coins, although the 2 largest ones are not used very frequently. Most have nicknames.

• 1 cent; nickname "penny" from the old British usage
• 5 cents; nickname "nickel" because it was the first US coin to have a high nickel content(*)
• 10 cents; officially called a "dime", a name left over from the post-colonial era.
• 25 cents; nickname "a quarter"
• 50 cents; nickname "a half"
• $1; nickname "a buck"

Be careful about the name nickel. Many people erroneously think the coin is spelled "nickle" but that's actually the name of a small songbird! (I am not making this up - you can check a good dictionary)