The United States five-cent coin, commonly called a “nickel,” is not made of silver, despite its metallic appearance. The coin’s composition is an alloy that has been in use for over a century. While the name suggests a high nickel content, the modern coin is primarily composed of copper. The history behind the coin’s name and a temporary change in its makeup are the sources of confusion about its actual metal content.
The Current Alloy: Copper and Nickel
The modern five-cent coin uses a blend of metals known as cupronickel, which has been the standard composition since 1866. This alloy consists of 75% copper and 25% nickel. The copper component forms the majority of the coin’s mass, providing a cost-effective base metal. The addition of nickel gives the coin its characteristic bright, silver-like sheen, distinguishing it from the all-copper cent.
This cupronickel mixture imparts several physical properties that make it ideal for coinage. The alloy is highly resistant to corrosion and tarnish, allowing the coins to remain in circulation for decades. The combination of metals provides excellent hardness and durability, ensuring they withstand daily wear. Furthermore, the alloy’s malleability allows for the clear and sharp striking of designs. The composition also possesses a specific electrical signature that vending and coin-handling machines use to verify authenticity.
The Origin of the Name and Wartime Exceptions
The coin received its common name, the “nickel,” because its alloy was the first to contain this metal in a significant amount, despite making up only a quarter of the total weight. The inclusion of nickel was a novelty at the time, giving the five-cent piece a distinctive hardness and color that set it apart from predecessors, such as the silver half-dime. The enduring name highlights the revolutionary use of nickel in coinage rather than the majority metal, copper.
Confusion about the coin containing silver stems from a specific period during World War II. From 1942 through 1945, the standard cupronickel alloy was temporarily abandoned to save nickel, which was a strategic metal needed for the war effort. During this time, the U.S. Mint produced the “War Nickel” with a completely different formula. This temporary composition was 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese, making it the only time a U.S. five-cent coin has contained silver.
The inclusion of silver and manganese helped replace the properties of the strategically important nickel while maintaining the coin’s utility. To make these unique coins easy to identify and eventually withdraw from circulation, the Mint added a large mint mark above the dome of Monticello on the reverse side. The standard cupronickel composition returned in 1946 once the wartime metal shortage had eased. Only nickels dated between 1942 and 1945, and featuring the distinct large mint mark, actually contain silver.