Please don't assume that because a coin is old it has to be made out of silver. These coins are called "nickels" because ... they're made from nickel (and copper).
There's more information at the Related Question.
The content of US nickels includes approximately 25% nickel metal and about 75% copper metal. Nickels were originally made from mainly silver rather than copper or nickel.
The content of US nickels includes approximately 25% nickel metal and about 75% copper metal. Nickels were originally made from mainly silver rather than copper or nickel.
That is known as a "war nickel" to save nickel for the war effort, the US government replaced some of the nickel in the nickel with silver. At the time of writing the silver content in them is around $1.70. The reason for the mintmark over the Monticello was that the idea was that people would know they contained silver.
For most dates, none. US nickels made from 1866 to mid-1942 and from 1946 to the present are made of a copper-nickel alloy, not silver. From mid-1942 to 1945 nickels did contain a small amount of silver because nickel metal was needed for the war effort. Those "war nickels" are the ONLY ones that have any silver in them.
Please don't assume that just because a coin is old it has to be made of silver. US nickels only contained silver during WW2. All others are made of 75% copper and 25% nickel. There's more information at the Related Question.
That is what is known as a war nickel, because nickel was needed for WWII, it was needed to change the composition of the nickel to one including 35% silver, as of the time of writing, your coin is worth $1.64 in silver content alone.
None. It's pure nickel. Canada hung onto silver in its coins a bit longer than the US but stopped by mid-1968.
A standard US nickel coin contains 1.25 grams of the element nickel. The rest is copper. However from mid-1942 to the end of 1945, the U.S. minted 5-cent coins out of an alloy of silver, copper, and manganese because nickel metal was needed for the war effort. Their silver content is the reason "war nickels" are worth more than other nickels of a similar age.
The metal content of a 1980 silver dollar is 90% silver and 10% copper. That compisition is the same for all dimes, quarters and dollar coins up till 1964 when the compistion changed again to 90% copper and 10& nickel.
The only silver dollar minted by the US Treasury in 1900 was the Morgan Dollar.
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.
No, they don't. US nickels are made of copper and nickel. The only ones that DO contain silver are war nickels, minted 1942-1945.