Why is the U.S. dime smaller than the nickel?

[shinigami747]

a silly question about such a mundane thing, but hasn't anyone else wondered about this?

seems to me that there should be an increase of size from the smallest denomination to the biggest (penny => nickel => dime => quarter).

any history buffs who can tell me why this is the case?

 

[JimmyJam]

Because it is. Always has been. Always will be. The real reasoning though, I have no idea.

 

[JimmyJam]

Ask the U.S.Mint

 

[JPark]

http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/nickels-bigger-dimes.html

Check that out

 

[Nash]

The dime is also smaller than the penny by a very small amount

 

[Westerly Sunn]

I always thought

the reason was that "back when things were real" a dime was minted from silver and a nickel from nickel... Silver being much more valuable; a dime was made of less material... Have I been mistaken all these years:?:

 

[boris bubbanov]

The fractional currency coins (half, quarter, twenty cent piece, dime and half-dime) were kept proportionally smaller than the silver dollar so they would not get melted down every time the price of silver fluctuated, but the coins' sizes were based at least in part of the relative value of the precious metal (90 percent silver) contained in them.

One cent pieces were about the size of a half dollar, so they decided to make those smaller and add nickel to give them a new look. Once they started being accepted, they decided to try the cupro-nickel in three and five cent coins and the 5 cent piece took.
The penny reverted back to mostly copper and they got rid of the copper 2 cent piece (about the size of the 2o cent silver coin) and cupro nickel 3 cent piece and 5 and 20 cent silver pieces after they figured out what worked and what did not.

Those earlier dimes were a little larger than todays dimes. Yeah, the silver half dime was too small for most folks to handle.

The dime was supposed to be small because it was made of better stuff.

Now we have a one dollar coin about the size of the one CENT piece of 1836, and made out of pretty much the same metal.

 

[PeteMac]

All the Australian coins grow in size as the value increases - until you get to the $1 and $2 coins (we don't have notes for those denominations.)
The $1 is almost twice the size of the $2.

 

[shinigami747]

http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/nickels-bigger-dimes.html

Check that out

thanks for the link, JPark!

thanks for the detailed post, boris!

i'm guessing the term "cent" comes from "percent", since the original smaller silver coins were sized as percentages of one silver dollar. (i was just slapped in the face by the blindingly obvious... )

nash, i didn't notice that the penny was bigger than the dime. thanks for pointing that out.

and thanks to all who responded.

 

[jaimed]

Canadian appears to follow the same rare metals sizing, till you get to the "twoey" and "oney". Jamie

 

[brokenjoe]

Canadian appears to follow the same rare metals sizing, till you get to the "twoey" and "oney". Jamie

That's 'tooney', and 'looney'.
Derived from the picture of the loon one the $1. coin.
There's no loon on a $2. coin, but us Canucks use the nickname for simplicity sake.

 

[otterhound]

I know that this is off track . I like coinage . The mint should make more of it . Not just One Dollar but Two , Five , Ten , Twenty , etc. The coins don't wear out like paper are much more difficult to counterfeit and you will never need to look about to start a ball game . They are also beautiful . I just would like to see more of it . They will never blow away on a windy day . Sorry .

 

[JPark]

I know that this is off track . I like coinage . The mint should make more of it . Not just One Dollar but Two , Five , Ten , Twenty , etc. The coins don't wear out like paper are much more difficult to counterfeit and you will never need to look about to start a ball game . They are also beautiful . I just would like to see more of it . They will never blow away on a windy day . Sorry .

I think the problem with that would be weight issues... I mean, you pay for some $3 with a $20 dollar coin (who doesn't do that with the bills?), and as change you get, for example, a $10 coin, a $5 coin, a $2 coin. Much more weight than the "paper" money.

If anything, everyone should use that plastic money they use in (correct me if I'm wrong) Australia.

 

[prairietelecaster]

It's not the size, but what you can do with it.....

 

[shinigami747]

I know that this is off track . I like coinage . The mint should make more of it . Not just One Dollar but Two , Five , Ten , Twenty , etc. The coins don't wear out like paper are much more difficult to counterfeit and you will never need to look about to start a ball game . They are also beautiful . I just would like to see more of it . They will never blow away on a windy day . Sorry .

off track? don't worry. i don't think anyone would mind. i don't.

i like coinage too. trouble with the buggers is they're heavy and bulky. we'd be dragging around money bags just like in the good old days when kings ruled countries and the musical instrument of choice was the lute.

but if coins all over the world were made of silver / gold and we used leather money bags with twine drawstrings, that would be SO vintage.

 

[shinigami747]

Canadian appears to follow the same rare metals sizing, till you get to the "twoey" and "oney". Jamie

fascinating. thanks for the pics!

 

[surfoverb]

freakin' Canadian pennies...I wonder in Canada is there a lot of US pennies floating around? They are nearly legal currency here they change hands so often, nobody really cares except the bank I guess.

 

[kelnet]

Yep, we do have US pennies floating around.
As for the Tooney, there was some thought that it should be called the Moon-y, because it has the Queen on one side with a bear behind.

 

[Mr.Reed]

I think the problem with that would be weight issues... I mean, you pay for some $3 with a $20 dollar coin (who doesn't do that with the bills?), and as change you get, for example, a $10 coin, a $5 coin, a $2 coin. Much more weight than the "paper" money.

If anything, everyone should use that plastic money they use in (correct me if I'm wrong) Australia.

Because plastic is bad for this lovely thing called the earth... we really should use semi-biodegradable chips implanted in your arm with a scan bar if you are worried about weight.

However I don't think the coins would weigh that much, how much money do you have on you at a time anyways?

 

[ggiles]

As Kelnet said lots of American pennies up here, as well as nickles, dimes and quarters ... they are the same size and we treat them the same pretty much ... until you hit that one dollar mark!
More interesting Canadian money facts ... the Canadian penny "was" pure copper until, I think 2006, now they have a steel core! Check it out ... any pre-2006 penny cannot be picked up by a magnet ... after 2006 they are magnetic ... great for party tricks. (at least until pre-2006 pennies go out of circulation)