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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 1056533, member: 19463&quot;]These size differences assume something that modern coinage has forgotten.&nbsp; Coins are not supposed to be proportional by size but by value of their metal content.&nbsp; Before 1964, US coins followed this rule but today our coins are valued according to the markings on them not the metal they contain.&nbsp; Large US cents (and UK pennies) were large to present something approaching a cent&#039;s worth of copper.&nbsp; Five cent coins don&#039;t weigh five times as much because they contain an alloy with a more valuable metal - nickel.&nbsp; Pre 1964 dimes were smaller than cents because they had real silver content and were worth something approaching their face in terms of melt value.&nbsp; Back then we did not see the hourly fluctuation of metal values that we see today because silver was tied to the currency and you could exchange a paper dollar (&#039;Silver Certificate&#039;) for silver bearing coin.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Today dimes are &#039;pretend&#039; silver and cents are &#039;pretend&#039; copper.&nbsp; They are the size they are because they were that size in 1964 when there was a reason for them being that way.&nbsp; Only the nickel remains as it was (and now costs more than a nickel to make so don&#039;t count on seeing them much longer.&nbsp; Have you noticed that you can ocassionally get a 1938 nickel in change even today because they are not different enough to make people pull them like they do for real copper cents and real silver dimes and larger coins.&nbsp;&nbsp; The new dollars are smaller because they are &#039;pretending&#039; to be part gold which once was actually used for spending money.&nbsp; If you know anyone who was in adult before 1933, they may remember when you could go to the store and spend a gold coin without someone thinking you were crazy.&nbsp; before 1933, the smallest gold coin was still a lot of money so many people (especially kids) would not have one.&nbsp; The fact this question was asked means at least someone does not remember when coins were real money and the paper stuff was what was backed only by faith in the government that issued it.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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