VALUABLE NICKEL
Since nickel is such a sturdy and corrosion-resistant material, it is an excellent metal for coin-making. The first coin to include the metal nickel was the one-cent piece Flying Eagle, an American coin made of 12 percent nickel and 88 percent copper.
This coin, which was also the first to go by the name "nickel," only circulated two years, between 1857-1858.The five-cent nickel was introduced a few years later in 1866 just after the Civil War came to an end. Prior to the war, most coins were still made of gold and silver, which gave them intrinsic value. Check Disclaimer On Profile.