Introduction to Decimal Calculations

An image of very old US currency bills, the front and back of a $20 bill

 

In [latex]1784[/latex], Thomas Jefferson proposed a decimal currency system for the United States based on the Spanish dollar, with coins for [latex]10[/latex] dollars, [latex]1[/latex] dollar, 1⁄10 dollar, and  1⁄100 dollar. One argument he advanced in favor of this system was that the 1⁄100-dollar coin would be similar in value to existing copper coins. The initial currency of the United States was minted in [latex]1792[/latex] with the dollar being equal to [latex]100[/latex] cents. Working with decimals is essential when calculating or analyzing most currency data, whether it be from historical or modern times!