Coins Facts

Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.

A coin toss isn't 50/50. Research shows a flipped coin is slightly more likely to land on the side that was facing up when tossed — about 51% of the time. The effect is even stronger when a coin is spun rather than flipped, because the heavier "heads" side acts as a counterweight.

The Mint once considered producing doughnut-shaped coins!

If you flip a coin ten times, the odds against its coming up with the same side showing each time are 1,023 to 1.

A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge, a dime has one less groove!

During the Civil War, the United States issued 5-cent paper bills because people were hoarding coins made of precious metals.

Japanese macaques have learned to collect coins dropped by tourists and have been observed inserting them into vending machines, though researchers believe they're mimicking human behavior rather than understanding the transaction.

The 1 yen coin can be used as a weight, because it weighs exactly one gram. Also, it can float on water.

A couple that were out walking on their property in Sierra Nevada discovered a canister containing $10 million in gold coins.

In 2001, the island country of Niue featured Pikachu and other Pokemon on their currency.

A retired gardener borrowed a metal detector in 1992 to find a lost hammer in a Suffolk field. Instead, he uncovered 14,865 Roman coins and 200 pieces of ancient jewelry - the largest late Roman treasure hoard ever found in Britain, valued at £1.75 million. They found the hammer too. It's in the British Museum.

A California couple were walking their dog in February 2013 when the woman spotted a rusty tin can sticking out of the soil on their property. They dug it out - and found it packed with 19th-century gold coins. Eight canisters total, containing 1,427 Gold Rush-era coins dated 1847-1894. Face value: $27,980. Market value: $10 million.