In a message dated 10/3/06 9:01:24 PM, ftimpano@infionline.net writes: > Nickels are 75% copper, 25% nickel. Except during W.W.II when they were > Copper, Silver and Manganese. > > At 06:42 PM 10/3/2006 -0400, LRZeitlin@aol.com wrote: > >Soundings Trade Only reports that the price of nickel has nearly doubled in > >the last year, from $7 to $15 a pound. This will raise the price of > stainless > >steel by about 20%. Stainless steel is used in just about everything that > >goes > >on a boat from propeller shafts and propellers to steering wheels and > >fastenings. As if the increase in oil prices weren't enough, boating may > >well be > >pricing itself out of the reach of normal people. > > > >Since a pound weighs 454 grams and a nickel coin weighs about 5 grams, and > >there are 90 or so nickels in a pound, each nickel coin should have about > 16 > >cents worth of nickel metal in it at todays prices. Save your nickels. > >Like gold > >coins, silver coins and real copper pennies, they are worth more as metal > >than > >as currency. > > > > Right you are. I was just startled by the price increase of nickel. I hate paying a dime for each half inch long SS screw. However, even at 25% nickel and 75% copper, the metal value of a nickel is greater than the monetary value. It's only a matter of time until the metal content of nickels changes again. Is zinc nickels a contradiction in terms? Larry Z