The composition of the USA five-cent piece, generally often called a nickel, underwent a big change relating to its silver content material. Whereas early examples contained silver, the follow was discontinued. The absence of silver from the coin’s make-up is a defining attribute of its trendy type.
Adjustments within the composition of circulating coinage are sometimes pushed by financial elements, resembling fluctuations within the worth of metals like silver. Sustaining a steady and manageable foreign money requires changes to the metallic content material to stop the face worth of the coin from falling under (or exceeding) the intrinsic worth of the metallic it accommodates. Historic circumstances, resembling wartime calls for for strategic supplies, have additionally influenced such choices.