Face Forward
Nickel
Like the penny, the nickel is costing more to produce than it is worth. The nickel has gone through a number of design changes with the most recent one this year. The new nickel features Thomas Jefferson facing forward.
Cost to Produce: Last year, it cost 4.83 cents to produce the nickel, but the U.S. Mint is estimating that it will cost 5.73 cents by the end of fiscal year 2006.
Composition: Cupro-Nickel (25% nickel, balance copper)
Number Produced: 1.7 billion nickels
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