War Nickels 2026

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Onastone
Onastone Posts: 4,417 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

Would the U.S. Mint ever make War Nickels again? The cent was discontinued just in the nick of time or we might have had another version of the steel penny, but what about nickels? There were those silver nickels from '42-'45 and right now nickels are kind of expensive being 75% copper. Perhaps we could see a zinc based nickel? Or maybe it will also be taken off the menu. Post a War Nickel if you have one!

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  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I could see that as maybe a commemorative ending the wars end. Im not sure about the rest of it

  • JBK
    JBK Posts: 17,864 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 5, 2026 6:26AM
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    Would the U.S. Mint ever make War Nickels again?

    Those were a messy alloy that contained 35% silver. No, the mint will never make them again.

    As for an alternate metal such as zinc, it could well happen, but I hate zinc coins so I'm not in favor of it.

    Although, if it cost the government less than five cents to make a zinc nickel, the fact that zinc coins can self-destruct might make it an attractive option for them. ;)

  • DesertCoin
    DesertCoin Posts: 481 ✭✭✭
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    There is pending legislation to change the nickel to nickel plated zinc.

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  • cladking
    cladking Posts: 30,312 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @DesertCoin said:
    There is pending legislation to change the nickel to nickel plated zinc.

    That's enough zinc to kill a toddler.

    tempus fugit extra philosophiam.
  • DesertCoin
    DesertCoin Posts: 481 ✭✭✭
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    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:
    There is pending legislation to change the nickel to nickel plated zinc.

    That's enough zinc to kill a toddler.

    I feel like this came up around the early ‘80s and no noteworthy cases ever surfaced.

    “Land of the free because of the brave”
    “Saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone”
    In Deo solo confidimus
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    Member since 2026
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  • privatecoin
    privatecoin Posts: 3,853 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    We should accelerate destroying the dollar. Get rid of the nickel.

    Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc

  • cladking
    cladking Posts: 30,312 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @DesertCoin said:

    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:
    There is pending legislation to change the nickel to nickel plated zinc.

    That's enough zinc to kill a toddler.

    I feel like this came up around the early ‘80s and no noteworthy cases ever surfaced.

    Doctors rarely check metal poisoning as a primary or tertiary cause of death. The effects of zinc can be very devastating and very subtle. A nickel sized coins contains far more zinc than a penny.

    tempus fugit extra philosophiam.
  • P0CKETCHANGE
    P0CKETCHANGE Posts: 3,731 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 8, 2026 5:36PM
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    I am in favor of discontinuing all circulating coin denominations except quarters and dollars.

  • JBK
    JBK Posts: 17,864 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:

    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:
    There is pending legislation to change the nickel to nickel plated zinc.

    That's enough zinc to kill a toddler.

    I feel like this came up around the early ‘80s and no noteworthy cases ever surfaced.

    Doctors rarely check metal poisoning as a primary or tertiary cause of death. The effects of zinc can be very devastating and very subtle. A nickel sized coins contains far more zinc than a penny.

    A nickel (mostly copper) weighs 5 grams. A copper cent weighs 3.11 grams. I assume the relative weight comparison would carry over if both coins were made of zinc.

    The cent weighs over 60% of the weight of the nickel. Two zinc cents would therefore contain more zinc than one zinc nickel. Cents are smaller and more easily swallowed than nickels.

    If zinc cents are not a proven issue for toddlers then I would not expect nickels to be a problem.

  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @P0CKETCHANGE said:
    I am in favor of discontinuing all circulating coin denominations except quarters and dollars.

    We might see that or all on a limited basis for collrctors

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,052 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @JBK said:

    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:

    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:
    There is pending legislation to change the nickel to nickel plated zinc.

    That's enough zinc to kill a toddler.

    I feel like this came up around the early ‘80s and no noteworthy cases ever surfaced.

    Doctors rarely check metal poisoning as a primary or tertiary cause of death. The effects of zinc can be very devastating and very subtle. A nickel sized coins contains far more zinc than a penny.

    A nickel (mostly copper) weighs 5 grams. A copper cent weighs 3.11 grams. I assume the relative weight comparison would carry over if both coins were made of zinc.

    The cent weighs over 60% of the weight of the nickel. Two zinc cents would therefore contain more zinc than one zinc nickel. Cents are smaller and more easily swallowed than nickels.

    If zinc cents are not a proven issue for toddlers then I would not expect nickels to be a problem.

    One should not feed coins to children. Lol

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • DesertCoin
    DesertCoin Posts: 481 ✭✭✭
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    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:

    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:
    There is pending legislation to change the nickel to nickel plated zinc.

    That's enough zinc to kill a toddler.

    I feel like this came up around the early ‘80s and no noteworthy cases ever surfaced.

    Doctors rarely check metal poisoning as a primary or tertiary cause of death. The effects of zinc can be very devastating and very subtle. A nickel sized coins contains far more zinc than a penny.

    Another thought that occurred to me is that the new nickel would be nickel plated, rendering it effectively non toxic. Nickel is quite resistant to corrosion when compared to copper.

    “Land of the free because of the brave”
    “Saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone”
    In Deo solo confidimus
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    Member since 2026
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  • WillieBoyd2
    WillieBoyd2 Posts: 5,410 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    When I saw the title of this thread I assumed it to refer to the current war and would be "political".

    My own opinion is that the US mints should stop making any coins which cost more to mint than their face value.

    Zinc coins are an indication of military defeat, France in 1941, and Germany in 1918 and 1945.

    image
    Germany 10 Pfennig 1918
    Zinc, 21 mm, 3.2 gm

    image
    France 20 Centimes 1941
    Zinc, 24 mm, 3.5 gm

    :)

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  • cladking
    cladking Posts: 30,312 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 9, 2026 10:55AM
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    @DesertCoin said:

    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:

    @cladking said:

    @DesertCoin said:
    There is pending legislation to change the nickel to nickel plated zinc.

    That's enough zinc to kill a toddler.

    I feel like this came up around the early ‘80s and no noteworthy cases ever surfaced.

    Doctors rarely check metal poisoning as a primary or tertiary cause of death. The effects of zinc can be very devastating and very subtle. A nickel sized coins contains far more zinc than a penny.

    Another thought that occurred to me is that the new nickel would be nickel plated, rendering it effectively non toxic. Nickel is quite resistant to corrosion when compared to copper.

    It would probably be safe enough for everyday use if the nickel coating was complete and could tolerate wear and tear. Not only would this be an expensive planchet but it's still a toxic bombshell. If we refuse to make a small low cost nickel then it with be wiser to just eliminate the quarter or dime. The dime makes sense to eliminate because they are still trying to beat you out of a quarter.

    It's hard to imagine some high tech nickel plated zinc nickel that costs much less than a nickel to coin. Simply withdraw existing nickels and use the profit to pay for a cheap aluminum (non legal tender) nickel. The country, the people, come out ahead.

    .
    Copilot (above as prompt)-

    _It would probably be safe enough for everyday use if the nickel coating were
    complete and could tolerate wear. But that’s the problem — you’d need a
    perfect, durable plating over a toxic core. That’s an expensive planchet,
    and once the coating wears through you’re right back to a zinc exposure
    issue.

    If we refuse to make a small, low‑cost nickel, then the wiser move is simply
    to eliminate the quarter or the dime. The dime is the obvious candidate —
    it’s tiny, expensive to produce, and still designed around beating you out
    of a quarter.

    It’s hard to imagine a high‑tech nickel‑plated zinc planchet that costs much
    less than a nickel to coin. The simplest solution is to withdraw existing
    nickels and use the seigniorage to pay for a cheap aluminum replacement.
    It doesn’t even need to be legal tender in the traditional sense. The
    country — and the public — would come out ahead._

    tempus fugit extra philosophiam.

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