The nickel is a US coin worth five cents. Twenty nickels make a dollar. One nickel can be written 5¢ or $0.05.
Nickels are made out of a nickel/copper alloy (a mixture of metals), 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. Nickels have a smooth edge; the nickel is 21.21 mm in diameter and is 1.95 mm thick.
The Jefferson nickel has been minted since 1938, when it replaced the Indian Head/Buffalo nickel. The final design was chosen from a contest; the winner was the artist Felix Schlag.
Nickels in Circulation
The front (obverse) of the nickel pictures a left-facing profile of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States of America and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
The front reads, “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “LIBERTY,” and the year the coin was minted. The small initial after the date is the mint mark, denoting the location of the US mint that produced the coin (D means Denver, Colorado, S means San Francisco, California, and P means Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
The back (reverse) of the nickel pictures Monticello, Jefferson’s house (which was designed by Jefferson himself), located in Virginia, USA.
The back reads, “E PLURIBUS UNUM” (which means, “Out of many, one”), “MONTICELLO,” “FIVE CENTS,” and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”
Activities Involving Nickels
Color the front and back of a nickel in this printout.
Color the front and back of a penny and a nickel in this printout.
Color four US coins, front and back.
Label the US coins and what they are worth.
Answers
Cut out the four cards and arrange them so they show the coins (penny, nickel dime, and quarter) in order of their value.
Subtract the nickels in these printout:
Subtracting Nickels: Printout #1
Subtracting Nickels: Printout #2
Subtracting Nickels: Printout #3
Figure out how many money is in each group of nickels.
Figure out how much money is in each group of nickels and pennies:
How Much? (Pennies and Nickels): Printout #1
How Much? (Pennies and Nickels): Printout #2
How Much? (Pennies and Nickels): Printout #3
Figure out how much money is in each group of nickels and dimes:
How Much? (Nickels and Dimes): Printout #1
How Much? (Nickels and Dimes): Printout #2
How Much? (Nickels and Dimes): Printout #3
Figure out how much money is in each group of quarters and pennies in these printouts:
How Much? (Nickels and Quarters): Printout #1
How Much? (Nickels and Quarters): Printout #2
How Much? (Nickels and Quarters): Printout #3
Figure out how much money is in each group of mixed coins:
How Much?: Printout #1
How Much?: Printout #2
How Much?: Printout #3
How Much?: Printout #4
How Much?: Printout #5
How Much?: Printout #6
How Much?: Printout #7
How Much?: Printout #8
How Much?: Printout #9
How Much?: Printout #10
Subtract nickels from a dollar.
Match each group of coins to what it’s worth in these printouts:
Match Groups to Values Printout #1
Match Groups to Values Printout #2
Match Groups to Values Printout #3
Match Groups to Values Printout #4
Match the coins to the amounts written in two different ways in these printouts:
Matching Printout #1
Matching Printout #2
Matching Printout #3
Match the groups of coins of equal amounts in these printouts:
Matching Groups Printout #1
Matching Groups Printout #2
Matching Groups Printout #3