25 Cent Pieces $20 Bills

Why Quarters and $20 Bills Rule (But 20-Cent Pieces and $25 Bills Never Made It)

Ever wonder why your pocket jingles with quarters but not 20-cent pieces? Or why you’re handing over $20 bills but never a $25 bill? A friend and I got to chatting about money—yep, the cold, hard (and sometimes funny) stuff—and we stumbled into this quirky corner of U.S. currency. Let’s dive into the wild world of coins and bills and unpack why some denominations make the cut while others get left in the dust!

Quarters: The Cool Kids of Coins

Quarters, those shiny 25-cent pieces, are basically the MVPs of your change jar. They’ve been around since the Coinage Act of 1792, when the U.S. decided a dollar should split neatly into 100 cents. Why 25 cents? It’s a clean quarter of a dollar—simple math, even for those of us who flunked algebra. Plus, it had historical swagger: colonial folks loved the Spanish dollar, which split into eight “bits,” and two bits equaled… you guessed it, a quarter!

• Why it works: Quarters are perfect for vending machines, parking meters, and splitting a $1 bill with friends.
• Fun fact: Two quarters make 50 cents, a super common transaction amount. Easy peasy!

The 20-Cent Flop: A Coin Nobody Wanted

Now, here’s where it gets juicy. The U.S. did try a 20-cent piece back in 1875. Spoiler alert: it was a total disaster. Why? It looked too much like a quarter, and people kept mixing them up. Imagine trying to buy a soda and accidentally shorting the cashier 5 cents—awkward! Plus, 20 cents (1/5 of a dollar) didn’t fit as neatly into transactions as the quarter’s 25 cents. By 1876, the 20-cent piece was sent to the currency graveyard.

“The 20-cent piece was like that one-hit wonder song—briefly popular, quickly forgotten.”

$20 Bills: The Sweet Spot of Paper Money

Flip over to paper money, and the $20 bill is the star of the show. It’s been a staple since the 19th century, perfect for buying lunch, tipping generously, or impulse-buying that quirky thrift store find. The $20 bill works because it’s divisible into smaller bills ($5s and $10s) and covers most everyday purchases without being too bulky.

• Why it’s awesome: You can split a $20 into two $10s or four $5s without breaking a sweat.
• Real talk: It’s just the right amount for when you want to feel fancy but not *too* fancy.

$25 Bills? Nope, Never Happened

So why no $25 bill? Honestly, it’s just not needed. A $25 bill would be like inviting an extra guest to a perfectly planned dinner party—it messes up the vibe. It doesn’t divide evenly into $5 or $10 bills, and cashiers would hate making change for it. Plus, introducing a new bill means new designs, new anti-counterfeiting tech, and convincing everyone to use it. The $20 bill already has the mid-range transaction game on lock, so a $25 bill would just be extra.

The Big Picture: Keep It Simple, Silly!

The U.S. currency system loves simplicity. Quarters and $20 bills stick around because they’re practical, divisible, and make sense in our decimal world. 20 cent pieces or $25 bills don't exist, and there are reasons.So next time you’re flipping a quarter or paying with a $20, give a nod to the quirky logic that made them kings of cash!

Got any other money mysteries? Drop ‘em in the comments, and let’s keep the coin talk rolling!