Jefferson Nickel (1938– )

Schlag won a 390-entry public competition to replace the Buffalo nickel. The design has survived nearly ninety years with one interruption — the wartime silver alloy — and a brief 2004-06 Westward Journey redesign. At roughly 8-9 cents of production cost per coin, the nickel loses the Mint more money per piece than any other circulating denomination, and its 25% nickel content makes it a perennial candidate for composition change — which is exactly why some stackers put away nickels at face: it is the only US coin you can 'buy' at melt-adjacent value with zero premium and zero downside.

A $2 roll of nickels contains 200 grams of metal — hold one and you are holding almost half a pound of strategic metals at face value.

Check these before treating any coin as melt. Think you have one? Check recent auction records before selling, and read the grading basics first.