# Coin Collectors: Half Dime? Quarter Dollar?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-collectors-half-dime-quarter-dollar/545666>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 6, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-collectors-half-dime-quarter-dollar/545666 "2010-07-06T03:10:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-collectors-half-dime-quarter-dollar/545666/1 "2010-07-06T03:10:34Z")

</div>

What is a half dime vs. a nickel? What is a quarter dollar vs. a quarter? Do/Did these terms have/had distinct meanings? What’s it all about?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kilmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kilmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilmore)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-collectors-half-dime-quarter-dollar/545666/2 "2010-07-06T03:24:37Z")

</div>

A Quarter Dollar is a quarter. The half-dime, according to wikipedia, is an obsolete coin half the size of a dime which was replaced by the larger “nickel” coin.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-collectors-half-dime-quarter-dollar/545666/3 "2010-07-06T03:29:03Z")

</div>

I thought the quarter dollar may be the same as a quarter for that IS what it literally means. Still, I wasn’t sure…thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-collectors-half-dime-quarter-dollar/545666/4 "2010-07-06T03:38:33Z")

</div>

Given that this question is easily answered on Wikipedia, _and_ that the OP has on many, many, many occasions been requested to first check Wiki or Google before asking simple questions here, this thread is closed.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator