Coins and notes

Different countries use different coins and notes. We'll cover the US dollar and the UK pound here — pick the one you use.

US dollar coins

• Penny (1¢) — the smallest, copper-coloured.
• Nickel (5¢) — silver-coloured, slightly bigger than a penny.
• Dime (10¢) — the smallest physically, silver-coloured.
• Quarter (25¢) — silver-coloured, the biggest of the four.

Less common but real:

• Half-dollar (50¢) and dollar coin ($1) — exist but you'll see them rarely.

US dollar notes (bills)

• $1,$5, $10,$20, $50,$100 — all green, different sizes only by design (in real life they're the same physical size in the US).

UK pound coins

• 1p, 2p — copper colour.
• 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p — silver colour.
• £1 — gold-edged, silver-centred.
• £2 — silver-edged, gold-centred (the inverse of £1).

UK pound notes

• £5 — small, blue-grey.
• £10 — orange-brown.
• £20 — purple.
• £50 — red.

Trick for recognising

• Coins are smaller and metal; notes are bigger and paper.
• US: copper (1¢), silver (5¢, 10¢, 25¢).
• UK: copper (1p, 2p), silver (5p–50p), gold-and-silver (£1, £2).
• Notes: each value has its own colour (UK) or its own portrait (US).

Examples

• 23¢ → 2 dimes + 3 pennies or 2 dimes + 1 quarter (no, too much), hmm — pick: 2 dimes + 3 pennies.
• $1.50 → a dollar bill + 2 quarters.
• £12 → £10 note + £2 coin.

Summary

• Coins are small and metal, notes are bigger and paper.
• 100 cents = $1; 100 pence = £1.
• Each currency has its own colour and size cues for quick recognition.