ByDavid
Last updated on December 11th, 2022 at 07:35 pm
Most people in the United States are probably familiar with the nickel coin and are aware of how much it’s worth.
However, learning more about the coin and getting a feel for how many are in a certain amount of dollars can be fascinating.
Learning about the coin can also help those who aren’t familiar with the nickel get a better feel for its value.
How many nickels are in $5?
One US nickel is worth five cents, or five pennies. One dollar is worth 100 cents. This means that, in a single dollar, there are 20 nickels. To find out how many nickels are in five dollars, we simply need to multiply 20 by 5. This gives us 100, which tells us that there are 100 nickels in $5. You can always multiply 20 by the number of dollars to find out how many nickels are in a certain number of dollars.
Knowing how many nickels are in a dollar can also help when rolling coins to save or turn in to the bank.
A roll of nickels is worth $2, so you can easily determine that you’ll need 40 nickels to make a complete roll.
Nickels can also be counted in other US money denominations.
For example, there are two nickels in a single dime and five nickels in a quarter. There are 10 nickels in a half dollar, which is a less-common US coin denomination.
What are nickels made of?
Despite their name, nickels minted in the United States are actually only 25% nickel. The rest of the coin is made up of copper. Nickels are about .8 inches, or 21 millimeters, in diameter and about .077 inches or just less than 2 millimeters thick.
These coins also weigh exactly 5 grams each, which makes them perfect for estimating weights or calibrating a small scale.
What’s the history of the nickel?
A five-cent coin was first introduced in the United States in the 1790s.
This coin was made of silver and was known as the silver half-dime.
However, production for the coin quickly became too expensive.
At first, paper money was used to replace the half-dime.
When the government realized it could use non-precious metals for coins, though, the paper currency was replaced with the nickel in 1866.
The first nickel design was known as the Shield nickel, as it depicted a shield on one side.
This design was replaced by the Liberty Head nickel in 1883.
A large V, used to denote the coin’s five-cent value, was pictured on one side of this nickel.
The other side of the coin featured Lady Liberty in profile.
During this time, the nickel grew in popularity, and it was widely used throughout the United States.
The nickel even lent its name to the nickelodeon, which was an early form of the movie theater.
The Liberty Head nickel was eventually replaced by the Buffalo nickel in 1913, which was in turn replaced by the Jefferson nickel in 1938.
The Jefferson nickel has been in circulation ever since.
As of 2020, a nickel costs about nine cents to make.
This has led the government to consider alternative metals when minting the five-cent coin.
Some people have proposed abolishing the nickel and the penny, or one-cent coin, as they’re not as commonly used as dimes and quarters and can be heavy to carry.
There are 100 nickels in $5.
measuringstuff.com
Rare Nickels
Throughout 2004 and 2005, nickels commemorating the Lewis and Clark expedition and the western expansion of the United States were issued.
These coins featured pictures of hands shaking on the Louisiana purchase, the boat used by Lewis and Clark, an American bison, and a view of the California coast.
Other rare nickels include Liberty Head nickels minted in 1913.
Since the Liberty Head nickel was replaced and put out of circulation, no Liberty Head nickels bearing a 1913 date should exist.
However, five of these coins have been found. It’s speculated that a mold for the coins was created and tested before being replaced with the Buffalo nickel, and these few coins are the only 1913 Liberty Head nickels in existence.
Because they are so rare, Liberty Head nickels with the 1913 date can be worth more than $4,000,000.
