What was the animal that was on the really old nickel?

Nickel was kept aside for use in the war effort. The buffalo was once a newcomer.... When the bison appeared on the Buffalo nickel (1913 to 1938), it was the first animal on a circulating American coin that was not an eagle.

1. What is on the back of the nickel coin?
2. What was before the buffalo nickel?
3. Why is the platypus on the 20 cent coin?
4. Which coin has a platypus?
5. How did Thomas Jefferson get on the nickel?
6. Why is the 2005 nickel different?
7. What is the rarest war nickel?
8. Is a 2005 nickel with a buffalo on it worth anything?
9. Why is a 1964 nickel rare?
10. Is a buffalo nickel with no date worth anything?
11. Are nickels silver?
12. Is a 1964 nickel silver?

What is on the back of the nickel coin?

The nickel is the United States' five-cent coin. The person on the obverse (heads) of the nickel is Thomas Jefferson, our 3rd president. ... The building on the reverse (tails) is called “Monticello.” Monticello was Jefferson's home in Virginia, which he designed himself.

What was before the buffalo nickel?

The shield nickel was produced until 1883, when it was replaced due to manufacturing issues by the “Liberty Head” nickel. The decades that followed saw a succession of new designs, starting in 1913 with the Buffalo nickel and followed in 1938 by the initial Jefferson nickel.

Why is the platypus on the 20 cent coin?

The Platypus is on the reverse side. The twenty-cent coin was part of the Australian decimal currency system. It replaced the florin on the 14th of February, 1966. ... As the system changed, the Australian pound became worth two Australian dollars.

Which coin has a platypus?

The twenty cent coin was first introduced with decimal currency on 14 February 1966. The original reverse design of a platypus remained unchanged until 1995. This denomination has since been used for commemorative designs.

How did Thomas Jefferson get on the nickel?

In January 1938, the Mint announced an open competition for the new nickel design. Competitors were to place Jefferson's portrait Jefferson on the obverse and his Monticello house on the reverse (or tails side).

Why is the 2005 nickel different?

A second newly designed nickel (to be issued in the late summer of 2005) will feature the same new image of Jefferson on the obverse, with a reverse design that signifies the culmination of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The nickel series has symbolically followed Lewis and Clark along their journey.

What is the rarest war nickel?

Nobody knows how many coins may have been struck this way, but as mentioned above there is only the one known. After determining it was not a fabrication, the 1942-S Wartime Nickel with 1941 Large S Reverse was purchased by Ken Frith in 1961 – thus the coin is now often referred to as the "Frith Nickel".

Is a 2005 nickel with a buffalo on it worth anything?

The lower priced listings are still going for $300, $400, up to $800, and more. PCGS explains that this nickel started earning way more than five cents soon after the mistake was discovered in 2005. They quickly sold for $100 or more regardless of their condition.

Why is a 1964 nickel rare?

The U.S. was experiencing a coin shortage at the time; increased numbers of minor coinage were needed. With the exceptional number of original mintages, the two mint varieties (Philadelphia and Denver) 1964 nickels are very abundant today. Both varieties are collected separately and important to correctly identify.

Is a buffalo nickel with no date worth anything?

A coin collector must know the date to determine its value and see if it is a rare nickel or not. Undated Buffalo nickels are worth about ten cents each, but only because people use them for jewelry, shirt buttons, and a variety of other uses. All other types of nickels without dates are only worth face value.

Are nickels silver?

Nickels minted in the United States between 1942 and 1945 are made of 35% silver. ... Normally all other nickels are composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel. Due to the pressing need for industrial metals like nickel during World War II, five-cent coins were actually made from 35% pure silver during the duration of the war.

Is a 1964 nickel silver?

Metal Used. The 1964 Jefferson coin is a composite metal piece with a silver appearance. However, the Jefferson coin has no silver content. It contains 75% copper and 25% nickel.