# silver nickels **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2000, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884 "2000-09-28T16:13:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884/41 "2004-04-13T07:46:03Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Silver “half dimes” were produced through 1873, and co-existed with the new(1866) “nickel” five cent coins. Indeed they did. I found the 1866 five-cent nickel-copper coin in the “red book” at the Torrance Library. I stand corrected. :o ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884/42 "2004-04-13T12:45:43Z")
**samclem** , what’s the going rate on a “V” nickel. I have one from 1907 which I plan to hold onto until 2007 (Wow, a hundred year old coin!) ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884/43 "2004-04-13T17:04:02Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Metallurgists will tell you, incidentally, that except for aluminum, all metals, when powdered, are black. Aluminum powder is silvery. 🙂 I must respectfully disagree. I had an old chemistry set given to me in 1970. It contained many of the taboo chemicals like Potassium Nitrate, powdered Potassium Permanganate (and the glycerin to make it ignite). It also contained a tube of zinc dust which was most assuredly not black. It was a dark grey, lighter in color than pencil graphite. It was also very dangerous in that you could make a nifty explosive that ignited on contact with water if you mixed it with two other chemicals which I will not identify here. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884/44 "2004-04-13T20:54:10Z")
Hey **samclem** , I’ve got a 1909 VDB Penny. What’s it worth? It’s Philadelphia sadly, not San Francisco… Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884/45 "2004-04-14T00:05:00Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **samclem** , what’s the going rate on a “V” nickel. I have one from 1907 which I plan to hold onto until 2007 (Wow, a hundred year old coin!) I’ll sell you an average one for about $2.00 > [@](#): > > Hey samclem, I’ve got a 1909 VDB Penny. **toon** We sell them for $3.00 or so. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884/46 "2004-04-14T03:10:32Z")
> [@Skribbler](#): > > You are correct. I was in error. Pennies are copper plated zinc. Grad 2 pennies, one pre-1982, one post-1982, and a nail file. File down the face of each penny and tell me what you see… ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884/47 "2004-04-14T03:19:33Z")
> [@Chance the Gardener](#): > > The nickel was introduced into circulation in 1883. Before then, there was a smaller coin that was referred to as the half-dime, also worth five cents (obviously.) The new coin was to be called a half-dime as well, but since they were made of nickel, the name _nickel_ caught on. My notes show that a 5 cent nickel piece entered circulation in 1866. The half dimes were produced from 1794 - 1873. So, these two different coins of the same value were minted for 8 common years. How confusing. 😕 Not to mention the half cent, two cent, and three cent pieces floating around at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884/48 "2004-04-14T06:12:40Z")
> [@King Friday](#): > > Not to mention the half cent, two cent, and three cent pieces floating around at the same time. I wonder what _those_ coins were made of, if they could float. Hyuk hyuk hyuk. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-nickels/34884.md?page=2)