Mint vs. Mints Two kinds of mints have been on our mind lately: those yummy Thin Mints that Girl Scouts sell this time of year and the U.S. Mint, whose , , facility just celebrated its 100th birthday. We thought it would be fun to test your knowledge — or plain common sense — about various “minty” things. Look at the information in the middle column and decide if it refers to the government’s coin-making mint or to the Girl Scouts’ mouth-watering mints (and other cookies). Answers can be found at the bottom. Number of U.S. mints making the coins we use. 2 Number of bakeries making Thin Mints.

Cost of Nero, the dog who protected the first U.S. Mint. $3 Cost of a box of Girl Scout cookies.

Number of years it usually takes to wear out a coin. 30 Percentage of cookie sales involving peanut butter. Nickname of an 1839 penny. Silly Head New Girl Scout cookie. How many state quarter designs the mint is making. 75 How many cases of cookies fit in a minivan. Percentage of silver in a Ben Franklin silver dollar. 89 Number of years Girl Scouts have been selling cookies.

The year the U.S. Mint was created. 1792 The calorie count for one box of Samoas.

Is said to have donated her silverware to make Martha Is said to have bought the first box of Thin Mints. the first U.S. money. Washington The year Abraham Lincoln was put on the penny. 1951 The year the first Thin Mint was made. Number of dimes minted each month. 2.7 million Number of Girl Scouts in the United States. Because nickel was needed for the war effort, Because sugar and butter were in short supply, World War II Mmmm, the Mint stopped using it in five-cent coins. Girl Scouts stopped selling cookies. Thin

Mints. How many coins the Denver mint makes in one day. 4.3 million How many boxes of cookies D.C.-area scouts hope to sell this year. Mmmm,

Thin 11 billion Mints. Number of U.S. coins minted each year. Number of Do-si-dos baked last year.

to 20 billion

dollar bill just 18 months). Peanut- months). 18 just bill dollar

Do-si-dos were baked last year. last baked were Do-si-dos scouting. There are lots more dimes: dimes: more lots are There scouting. copper. percent 10 silver, percent

A coin typically lasts 30 years (a (a years 30 lasts typically coin A 30:

million 14 than More change!

Number of U.S. girls in in girls U.S. of Number million: 2.7

Oklahoma. A Franklin silver dollar is 90 90 is dollar silver Franklin A Oklahoma. You can learn more about mints — the

That’s a lot of spare spare of lot a That’s billion: 11-20

The first cookie sale was in 1917 in in 1917 in was sale cookie first The 89: $4 elsewhere). $4

1909. money kind and the yummy kind — at

$3.50 a box in the D.C. area ($2.50- area D.C. the in box a $3.50

makes 32.5 million coins each day. day. each coins million 32.5 makes Lincoln has been on pennies since since pennies on been has Lincoln state. per one designs, quarter 50

Nero cost $3 in 1793. Cookies are are Cookies 1793. in $3 cost Nero

$3: these Web sites: scouts hope to sell. The Denver Mint Mint Denver The sell. to hope scouts The first mint cookie was sold. sold. was cookie mint first The 1951: are There kids. minivan, the Load

“D” means this 75: How many boxes D.C. D.C. boxes many How million: 4.3 the coins we use. use. we coins the • www.usmint.gov/kids

silverware. silverware.

penny was made silly. looked coin this on Liberty Miss (in Pennsylvania and Colorado) make make Colorado) and Pennsylvania (in

Both are correct. correct. are Both II: War World She gave up her her up gave She Washington: Martha of image the thought People Silly Head: Silly • www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_

in Denver. A “P” mints U.S. two and cookies, Scout Girl

month. month. cookies/cookie_history of Samoas has about 1,050 calories. 1,050 about has Samoas of sales. cookie make bakeries Two question. Trick on a coin means 2:

more than 200 million new ones each each ones new million 200 than more When the U.S. Mint started. A box box A started. Mint U.S. the When 1792: all of percent 24 are cookies butter it was minted ANSWERS in Philadelphia.