The United States has produced several coins and banknotes of its dollar which no longer circulate or have been disused. Many of these were removed for specific reasons such as inflation reducing their value, rising minting costs, a lack of demand, or being too similar to another denomination.
Treasury notes
The U.S. Dollar has numerous discontinued denominations, particularly high denomination bills, issued before and in 1934 in six denominations ranging from to . Although still legal tender, most are in the hands of collectors and museums. The reverse designs featured abstract scroll-work with ornate denomination identifiers. With the exception of the bill, these bills ceased production in 1945, and were recalled in 1969. Of these, the was printed only as a Series 1934 gold certificate and was only used for internal government transactions. The United States also issued fractional currency for a brief time in the 1860s and 1870s, in several denominations each less than a dollar.
Denomination Obverse Reverse Portrait 3 cent note George Washington 5 cent note Thomas Jefferson 10 cent note William M. Meredith 15 cent note Bust of Columbia 25 cent note Robert Walker 50 cent note William Crawford bill William McKinley bill Grover Cleveland bill Various historical figures bill James Madison bill Salmon P. Chase bill Woodrow Wilson
Coinage
There have been numerous coins throughout the United States dollar's history that no longer circulate. Some, like the half-cent coin, were removed due to inflation reducing their value relative to the cost of the metal that composed the coin. Others such as the two-cent piece were removed due to a lack of demand.
Note that this table shows the latest status before the coin denomination was rendered obsolete.
Denomination Obverse Reverse Weight Diameter Material Edge Issued Half cent½¢ 100% plain 1793–1857 Large cent1¢ 100% plain 1793–1857 Two-cent piece2¢ 95% , 5% and plain 1864–1873 Trime3¢ 90% , 10% plain 1851–1873 Three-cent nickel3¢ 75% , 25% plain 1865–1889 Half dime5¢ 90% , 10% Reeded 1792–1873 Twenty-cent piece20¢ 90% , 10% Plain 1875–1878 Gold dollar$1 90% , 10% Reeded 1849–1889 Quarter eagle$2.50 90% , 10% Reeded 1795–1929 Three-dollar piece$3 90% , 10% Reeded 1853–1889 Half eagle$5 90% , 10% Reeded 1795–1929 Eagle$10 90% , 10% Reeded 1795–1933 Double eagle$20 90% , 10% Reeded 1849–1932
Notes Some Early United States commemorative coins were minted in this denomination. Some Modern United States commemorative coins are minted in this denomination. The United States government claims that it never officially released the 1933 double eagle. Examples of the coin were minted in that year, but were never released to circulation following Executive Order 6102.
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