I read somewhere (maybe on CathInfo--I can't remember) that we should hang on to nickels for the event of a collapse.
Does anybody know whether that sounds right and the reason for it?
Are there other coins to make a point of hanging on to?
Nickels have the most inherent value compared to other modern coins, since nickel (25%) is the most valuable metal used today in stock American currency. But whether they will be in high demand or not in the future is another question. With extreme civil unrest,
why would even gold or silver be of much interest to starving people, instead of food, water, or something that could obtain such things -- such as ammunition?
In 1943, copper was in high demand for the war effort, so pennies were minted of steel with a little zinc mixed in. Today steel 1943 pennies sell for maybe two or three cents each, but the very few copper pennies that were struck with 1943 dies are valued at over $100,000 each. Copper (and maybe nickel) might again be in high demand in a future war, but hoarding them in anticipation wouldn't be smarter than buying up ammo, for example.
The mostly-copper American cent prior to 1981 was replaced in 1982 with a zinc core (97.5%) that is only plated with copper for appearance (2.5%). They say that durability is a key consideration in the choice of metals in minting coins, but these new zinc core cents don't hold up very well. Once the copper is worn even in one tiny spot, the zinc inside quickly corrodes away. I've found such pennies lying on the ground that are virtually unrecognizable in details such as the date stamp, but they might have been in the dirt for only a few months or years. Some are rotted all the way through, and this would not have happened to a copper penny less than 200 years old.
Nickles today are 25% nickel and the balance (75%) is copper ("cupro-nickel"). Compared to the rest of the denominations, that's the highest nickel content. The dime, quarter and half-dollar all have 8.3% nickel and 91.6% copper.
Presidential $1 coins and Native American $1 coins are made of manganese brass, with 88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese and 2% nickel.
(Brass is an alloy or blend of copper and zinc, while bronze is made of copper and tin.)
Nickel is not a precious metal, but only semi-precious, as copper likewise. Zinc and manganese are not significantly more rare or valuable than is iron or steel.
If you want to collect something that will be in high demand for trading once a monetary crisis begins, you ought to consider stockpiling ammunition, especially .22 cal rimfire Long Rifle, .308 (or 7.62 mm), 30-30, .45 cal. and .38 cal. (7 mm Remington, 12 ga shotgun shells, 30-06 and .44 magnum might be desirable as well, but not as much so as the former calibers.)
Data from chart on http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8088Denomination Metal used Composition (%) Weight (g) Diameter Thickness (mm) Edge No. of Reeds
Cent Copper-plated Zinc 2.5 Cu Balance Zn 2.500 0.750 in. (19.05 mm) 1.55 Plain N/A
Nickel Cupro-Nickel 25 Ni Balance Cu 5.000 0.835 in. (21.21 mm) 1.95 Plain N/A
Dime Cupro-Nickel 8.33 Ni Balance Cu 2.268 0.705 in. (17.91 mm) 1.35 Reeded 118
Quarter Dollar Cupro-Nickel 8.33 Ni Balance Cu 5.670 0.955 in. (24.26 mm) 1.75 Reeded 119
Half Dollar Cupro-Nickel 8.33 Ni Balance Cu 11.340 1.205 in. (30.61 mm) 2.15 Reeded 150
Presidential $1 Manganese-Brass 88.5 Cu 6 Zn 3.5 Mn 2Ni 8.1 1.043 in. (26.49 mm) 2.00 Edge- Lettering N/A
Native American $1 Coin Manganese-Brass 88.5% Cu 6 Zn 3.5 Mn 2 Ni 8.1 1.043 in. (26.49 mm) 2.00 Edge-Lettering N/A
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