Everyday objects such as pennies and dollar bills can go unnoticed in our lives. We use them all the time, but how often do we really look at them? Taking the time to investigate a familiar thing in detail and then learning to design something similar will strengthen your child’s observati

Although many children are already familiar with what money looks like and with how and when their families use money, it is important that they also understand how money itself works. The money we use, coins and currency, has very little value on its own. Coins and bills only h

In this activity, children and adults will take a trip together to explore a locally owned business in their community. Children and adults will use the suggested questions to learn more about what it takes to run a business while thinking about the business history of their

Although many Americans are turning more and more to credit cards to buy the things they want, most Americans still handle paper money and coins on a regular basis.  It is important for children (and adults!) to be comfortable counting and handling money and to think about the people and ide

This useful reading guide will help engage young readers as they read Lemonade in Winter: a Book About Two Kids Counting Money, a children's book based that tells the story of two siblings who decide to spend an otherwise snowy winter's day opewning a lemonade sta

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, Richard Doty, senior curator of the National Numismatics Collection, shares the story of the "Richmond Hoard," an enormous collection of Confederate currency obtained by the museum and explains what currency meant to life in the South a

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, numismatics curator Karen Lee discusses the history and meaning of the dollar, including unusual items that have been used to represent the dollar in the U.S., and discusses the value of studying money.  The teacher guide incl

This medal accompanied Lewis and Clark on their epochal journey West. The medal is hollow, consisting of two thin, embossed silver plates, one for each side of the medal. The two were held together by a silver ring, running around the entire circumference of the piece. The medal was created

In 1848, the largest single gold rush in history was just getting under way in California.  The event triggered a mass migration of fortune hunters from around the world.  The territory has only recently passed into American hands as an outcome of U.S. victory in the Mexican War. 

The sheer size of the California gold strike altered the nature of American numismatics. It was not only that mintage figures dramatically increased; the actual range of denominations increased as well.  Prior to 1849, there had been three gold coins: the quarter eagle, half eagle, and eagle