Trips! (555) (Your post number)
I read you 5 by 5, Bob.
A nickel was worth over 10 cents in 2012.
75% copper and 25% nickel!
Commodity prices for the necessary copper and nickel to make our nickel rose from 3.46 cents in fiscal year 2003 to 10.09 cents in fiscal year 2012.
However the melt value of one US nickel, checking here, now, is down to $0.040833 .
http://coinapps.com/nickel/us/calculator/
That’s pretty close to 5 cents, and if we don’t get real money soon, the push will likely be on to make them out of a cheaper mix of material if it goes back up. (As it was before, and as was actually done to our other coins.)
In any case, our coinage has more “value” today as “money”, than our paper currency. (IMHO)
Lasts longer, too!
... in an attempt to avoid losing large quantities of circulating nickels to melting, the United States Mint introduced new interim rules on December 14, 2006, that criminalized the melting and export of pennies (which as of 2013 cost 1.83 cents to produce) and nickels - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_(United_States_coin)
The mint might outlast us but a nickel will still be worth a nickel if you hoard it, so all you lose is possible interest. It is only a matter of time, and with the paper dollar facing challenges internationally {supported only by being the world's reserve currency} and our debt growing exponentially, I think sooner rather than later.