It was Ben Franklin who said:
"A penny saved is a penny earned."
His resting place is right next to The US Mint, and people leave pennies on it. Did you know, though, that Benjamin Franklin did not live to see an actual U.S. penny? He died in 1790, which was 2 years before The Mint in Philadelphia was built. According to The US Mint timeline, it was the first Federal building erected under the Constitution, and the very first US penny was not ready for circulation until 1793.
When we got back from our trip, my husband and children took it upon themselves to create a wonderful keepsake for themselves. They had been collecting state quarters for a while, but now they were excited to sort them according to where they were made: The Mint in Philadelphia or Denver.
Did you know that every quarter has a "D" or a "P" on the lower right corner to indicate whether it was produced in Denver or Philadelphia? If you take a close look at coins and paper money, it really is amazing how every detail is there for a reason.
So, get out your jars of quarters and start sorting! Oh wait, first you need something to sort them into, and we used the Fifty State (District of Columbia and Territorial) Quarter Folder: Deluxe Edition 1999 through 2009 Complete Philadelphia and Denver Mint Collection.
The difference between this quarter sorting book and ones you may have previously put together is that it allows you to sort coins according to the year they were produced, and which Mint they originated from. In addition, you and your child can add the coins issued in 2009 to commemorate the District of Columbia and the 5 U.S. territories.
Here's what the book will look like as you fill most of it:
It's fun to seek out the quarters you still need when you're out and about with your child.
Not only is this activity a great exercise in sorting, but your child can also learn a lot about the U.S. states and territories as well. Here is a list of just a few of the ways to pull geography into this activity:
- You and your child can find each state and territory on a map.
- You and your child put together a puzzle of the states.
- You can go to the library to find a book with facts about the 50 states.
- You can play a game that has to do with the 50 states.
Here are just a few of the books and games you might consider purchasing to supplement your coin searching and sorting adventure:
- The Scrambled States of America book, by Laurie Keller
- Scrambled States game, by Gamewright
- The Scrambled States of America Puzzle and Book Set
- 10 Days in the USA game, by Out of the Box Publishing
Please note that as always, if you purchase any of these items through these links (or through my Amazon store), I will receive a very small commission.
I hope you and your children enjoy the coin sorting activity as much as my own did! It's such a great way to integrate math, history, and geography with real world activities. When children see how learning really is a part of real life, it makes it so much more of an enjoyable experience.
I'd like to end with another great quote from Benjamin Franklin:
"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing."
Even though he never saw the very first U.S. coin, I'm sure he must have been one of the people who got the money ball rolling in the first place. It amazes me how much he did for our country, and he certainly will never be forgotten.
Please check back for books relating to Benjamin Franklin within the next few weeks! Oh, and you can find out more about the 2009 quarters at The US Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change site. Enjoy...