When the United States won its independence, they had to move away from British currency and form their own.
On April 21, 1787, the Congress of the Confederation of the United States authorized a design for an official copper penny.
This penny became known as the Fugio cent, deriving from the image of a sun shining down on a sundial with the caption "fugio," Latin for "I flee/fly."
The penny was designed by Benjamin Franklin. The bottom has the message "Mind your business," a reminder to its holders. The image and words combine for a meaning of "time flies, do your work."
Some people think that the word "business" should be taken as a literal business as Franklin was a successful and prominent businessman himself. Either is possible, and some think that both meanings were intended.
The other side of the coin the motto "We Are One" surrounded by thirteen chain links, representing the original thirteen colonial states.
