How much does a nickel weigh?

With a weight of 5 grams, the U.S. nickel weighs twice as much as a penny and more than double the weight of a dime. The nickel is worth 5 cents.

The first "nickel" wasn't produced until 1866, as U.S. law dictated coins be made of either gold, silver or copper. Standard weight of a given coin was originally based on the value of the precious metal used to mint it. So, for example, the 5-cent coin was made from half the amount of silver that made up a 10-cent coin. Introduction of less costly materials in the production of coin currency in the late 19th century explains why the nickel is bigger than the more valuable dime: nickel weighed less than silver, and thus more had to be used to make it half the weight of a dime.