Is copper used in nickels?

Answer by  mightyspidey (1080)

Copper is actually still the main ingredient in nickels. Nickels are made of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. There was a time (1942 - 1945) that silver and manganese were also used to make nickels, however only for those three years. Copper is also used to make pennies!

Answer by  monkeyz (3150)

The current composition of a nickel is 75% copper and 25% nickel. During World War II the copper content dipped to only 56%, with 35% silver and 9% manganese. The 75/25 ratio seems to be the ratio used for all nickels except the "wartime" nickels.