You can melt them but you won't get any silver. All US nickels except special "war nickels" made during 1942-45 are struck in the same alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper.
No. It's the same copper/nickel blend as every* other U.S. nickel minted since 1866. There were a billion of them minted in 1964, and it's worth 5 cents. *The only U.S. nickels to contain any silver are the "war nickels" of 1942-1945.
None. Please don't assume that all pre-1965 coins contained silver. Except during WWII, US nickels never contained silver - they've always been 75% copper alloyed with 25% nickel. From 1942 to 1945 special "war nickels" were made that contained about a gram of silver, because nickel was needed for the war effort. A 1964 U.S. nickel contains 0% silver. Only nickels issued from 1942 thru 1945 (known collectively as 'war nickels' and distinguished by their large mint marks, hovering over Monticello on the reverse) contained any silver, 35% by weight.
The only US nickels that ever contained any silver were those struck between 1942 and 1945, when nickel was a strategic war material. "War nickels" were about 35% silver with the rest made of copper and manganese. Otherwise, any nickel you find will be made of an alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel. So if you find, say, a 1957 or 1964 nickel in change feel free to spend it. It's not worth anything special.
Yes, pre-1964 nickels, specifically the ones minted from 1942 to 1945, contain silver. During World War II, the U.S. Mint produced these "War Nickels" with a composition of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese to conserve nickel for the war effort. However, nickels minted before 1942 and after 1945 do not contain silver and are made of a copper-nickel alloy.
No, it was 1945, 1964 nickels are NOT silver. Only the 1942 through 1945 nickels (War Nickels) with large reverse mintmarks are 35% silver. ALL other US nickels regardless of date are made of an alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper.
It is an American nickel made of copper, silver and manganese during World War 2.
All US nickels except special "war nickels" made during 1942-45 are struck in the same alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper. War nickels were made of an alloy of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese because nickel metal was needed for the war effort. These coins are distinguished by a large mint mark letter over the dome of Monticello on the back.
75% copper and only 25% nickel, the same composition used since 1866 except during WWII. The only US nickels that contained any silver were special "war nickels" minted from late 1942 to 1945. These coins are 56% copper, 35% silver and 9% manganese.
The same thing as now .750 copper & .250 nickel Regardless of popular misunderstandings, only silver coins were changed after 1964. Pennies and nickels (except for "war nickels") don't have silver so their composition stayed the same.
What you actually have is a counterfeit nickel, known as a Henning nickel. This isn't a war nickel, but instead was a counterfeit nickel created in the mid-1950s, there is a thriving collectors market for them. I've attached a link with more information about the Henning nickels.
None. Please don't assume that because a coin is old it has to be made of silver. All US nickels except special "war nickels" made during 1942-45 are struck in the same alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper.