2006-11-30 09:19:26 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
Simple. The material costs used to make a nickel are and were significantly less than the cost of making a dime, which was originally silver. The nickel material was so cheap, the size wasn't even considered....
In 1866, the Civil War had just ended and many coins had disappeared because people were saving them. It was a good time for Joseph Wharton to show up with his nickel mine. Nickel had been used in pennies and three-cent coins, but Wharton got Congress to pass an Act that created a new five-cent coin out of nickel. Congress passed the Act in May.
Also, people were eager to get rid of paper nickels—five-cent notes that were used as emergency money during the war.
They also found the five-cent pieces easier to use than the tiny little half-dimes of the day.
2006-11-30 09:27:31 · answer #1 · answered by shake_um 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Maybe it is because nickels used to be made out of nickel and dimes used to be made out of silver.
2006-11-30 12:01:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Throughout the whole world, different sized coins (and in Europe, notes) are used for the benefit of the blind, or hard-of-sight.
2006-12-02 05:42:12 · answer #3 · answered by SteveUK 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So that any blind person would be able to tell the difference between the coins.
2006-12-02 10:09:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
So you could have something of low value but still be able to throw at people when you get mad... ^_^ weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
....oh god i'm going to hell...
2006-11-30 09:27:07 · answer #5 · answered by Paris, je t'aime 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
because thomas jefferson has a bigg head
2006-11-30 09:22:30 · answer #6 · answered by Ballliiinnnnnn 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
thats how the govt. makes all of its $$$$$$$$$$$
2006-11-30 09:25:28 · answer #7 · answered by stalkin ya 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋