Nickels are not struck in pure copper and they are not silver-plated. They're made of a solid alloy composed of nickel and copper.
What you have is a coin that has been altered or damaged in some way, either by someone plating it using a high-school chemistry set, exposing it to a chemical, or heating it to cause discoloration. In any case it won't have any numismatic worth except for its face value.
Another answer:
The 1985 Jefferson Nickel coin error is a pretty unique one. If you look at the picture to the right, you will notice that this 1985 nickel looks like it is copper. In fact, it partially is copper.
1985 Jefferson Nickel Coin Error
What caused this coin error?
Before the U.S. mint stamps a coin, it takes the planchet and heat them in an oven. The mint uses the same oven for all of its planchet. In this case, the U.S. mint placed the nickel planchet into the oven right after firing copper planchets. The copper molecules from heating the copper planchet must have remained in the oven. And, then these 1985 Jefferson nickels got copper on them during their firing.
That is how this 1985 Jefferson nickel coin error was made.
Sorry, pic from article did not come up.
The copper plating was not done by the U.S. Mint so the coin is just face value. NOTE: No U.S. Mint plates any coins with copper, gold or silver.
No, nickel silver and sterling silver are not the same value. Sterling silver is a precious metal composed of 92.5% silver, while nickel silver is an alloy of nickel, copper, and zinc that does not contain any silver. Sterling silver is typically more valuable than nickel silver.
It isn't silver. Nickel "silver" refers to an alloy of copper with nickel and zinc to make it look like silver but it really contains no silver at all.
Not silver - copper-nickel. Face value only.
All nickels except "war nickels" from 1942-45 are made of copper-nickel, not silver. What you have is an ordinary coin worth 5 cents.
50 cents for the copper-nickel coin underneath a few atoms of gold plating. A cent or two for the plating, IF you could recover it.
It's copper-nickel not silver. 1964 was the last year for 90% silver quarters.
There are no "silver" 1977 coins...they are copper-nickel Eisenhower coins and they are worth $1.00
There are no "silver" 1977 coins...they are copper-nickel Eisenhower coins and they are worth $1.00
$1, gold plating adds far too little gold for it to be of any monetary value and $1 bicentennial coins without an "S" mintmark they are copper and nickel and not worth more than face value.
All circulation dimes dated 1965 and later are made of copper-nickel, not silver.
Circulation "Ikes" were made of copper-nickel rather than silver. They're only worth face value.