Small Change Trivia Quiz

Answer: Penny

The Wheat Penny was a U.S. one-cent coin minted from 1909 to 1958. Its reverse design featured two wheat stalks framing the words 'ONE CENT,' symbolizing agricultural prosperity and America's agrarian roots. These coins marked the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth and remain popular among collectors for their historical and aesthetic value.

Answer: Penny

Penny loafers are a classic slip-on shoe style that became popular in the mid-20th century. The design included a small slit on the strap, where people often tucked a penny for luck or emergency phone calls when payphones cost one cent. This practical and stylish tradition gave the shoe its name and cemented its cultural association with the penny.

Answer: Penny

The phrase "a penny for your thoughts" dates back to the 16th century and reflects the penny's historical role as a unit of small but tangible value. Offering a penny for someone's ideas symbolized curiosity and a willingness to pay for insight, even if modestly. Over time, the expression became a common idiom for inviting someone to share what's on their mind, preserving the penny's symbolic link to worth and exchange.

Answer: Nickel

The Buffalo Nickel was a U.S. five-cent coin minted from 1913 to 1938. Its design featured an American bison on one side and a Native American profile on the other, symbolizing the nation's frontier heritage. This coin is considered one of the most iconic and artistic U.S. coin designs, reflecting early 20th-century interest in American history and wildlife.

Answer: Nickel

Nickel is a metal widely used for nickel plating, a process that coats objects with a thin layer of nickel to prevent corrosion and enhance durability. Historically, nickel plating became popular in the late 19th century for industrial and decorative purposes, and the metal's association with strength and resilience influenced its adoption in coinage as well.

Answer: Nickel

The phrase "don't have two nickels to rub together" is an idiom that conveys extreme poverty or lack of money. It originated in the early 20th century when nickels were a common small denomination, and having even two could mean the difference between buying a basic item or going without. The expression persists today as a colorful way to describe financial hardship.

Answer: Dime

The Mercury Dime was a U.S. ten-cent coin minted from 1916 to 1945. Despite its name, the coin does not depict the Roman god Mercury but rather Liberty wearing a winged cap, symbolizing freedom of thought. The design by Adolph A. Weinman became one of the most admired in American coinage history and remains a favourite among collectors for its artistry and symbolism.

Answer: Dime

Dime stores, which emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were discount retail shops where most items cost ten cents or less, making them accessible to the average consumer. Dime stores became cultural icons of affordability and convenience, shaping shopping habits in an era when the dime represented meaningful purchasing power.

Answer: Dime

The phrase "turn on a dime" is an idiom that originated from the dime's small size, implying the ability to change direction quickly and precisely. Historically, this expression gained popularity in the early 20th century and is often used to describe agility in sports, vehicles, or decision-making.

Its figurative meaning reflects the dime's role as a symbol of compactness and efficiency.

Answer: Quarter

The word 'states' relates to the quarter through the 50 State Quarters Program, a U.S. Mint initiative that ran from 1999 to 2008. Each design honored one of the fifty states, featuring symbols, landmarks, or historical themes unique to that state. This program revitalized interest in coin collecting and became one of the most successful commemorative series in U.S. history, making the quarter a canvas for national identity.

Answer: Quarter

In music, a quarter note represents one beat in common time. The term dates back to early European musical notation and became standard in Western music theory. Its association with the word 'quarter' reflects the idea of dividing a whole measure into four equal parts, paralleling the fractional concept behind the coin's value - one-fourth of a dollar.

Answer: Quarter

To 'draw and quarter' refers to a brutal execution method used in medieval Europe. While the phrase is now figurative, meaning severe punishment or criticism, its origin involved literally dividing a person into four parts. This connection highlights how 'quarter' has long symbolized division, whether in currency, measurement, or historical practices.