How It Started
H.I.P. Pocket Change is all about fun and information, especially coin information. It all started in 1997, when President Clinton asked federal agencies to find resources that could "enrich the Internet as a tool for teaching and learning."
In response, agencies joined forces to form the Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) Working Group. The FREE group has pooled hundreds of educational treasures and posted them on the U.S. Department of Education's Web site.
FREE also provided grants for finding ways to help teachers and federal agencies work together. In 1998, the United States Mint was awarded one of those grants. It created the H.I.P. Pocket Change Web site to link the Mint with teachers across the country and around the world.
Once all that was in place, all that was left to do was to find seven coin-loving animals who wanted to learn more about coins and share that knowledge with you. The H.I.P. Pocket Change Pals are your coin currency dream team!
What It's For
With coins, we literally carry the past in our pockets. But most of us seldom stop and think about the historical riches at our fingertips.
This site aims to change that! As we discover the hidden stories behind our coins, we can develop a fascination that can last a lifetime.
H.I.P. Pocket Change is also about building an online educational community. Teachers help to prepare its lesson plans and can share the innovative ways they find to use coins in the classroom. The site would not have been possible without the contributions of teachers and organizations like the Department of Education.
The United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change™ Web site shows how connected people are to coins. The games, stories, and other activities bring coins to life. They present not only the extraordinary people pictured on the coins, but also the generations of citizens who have carried this change. What a great place to examine the "History In your Pocket" (H.I.P.)!