The same applies to the "zinc" penny [97.5% Zn, 2.5% Cu] and is the reason that it is against the law to melt them for the metal value nor can a traveler take more than $5 of them or ship more than $100 at any one time (face-value).
The real question and quandary is, what will happen to the penny/nickel bubblegum machines? (Yeah, I know, they are already gone!)
Against the law or not, people are melting them down.
You can even buy sorters that will spot the coins that are higher in the desirable metal.
“The real question and quandary is, what will happen to the penny/nickel bubblegum machines?”
We have an old penny bubblegum machine and the kids have to use the pennies they pick up off the street to buy them. Keeps the kids frugal and also keeps their eyes open for money. When we went to SLC one time one of the kids spotted four $20 bills folded together and picked them up. That went in her college fund.