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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;n9jig, post: 1644365, member: 35249&quot;]Silver got too valuable to be used in coins so they had to come up with an alternative with cheaper metals. The clad composition was developed because of several properties, including electromagnetic, aesthetic and wear. It worked in vending machines, had a decent appearance and would be durable.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is true that clad coins do not have the collector cachet that silver does due to its relative lack of intrinsic value. Should the prices of copper and nickel (the metals used in the clad coins, no zinc in them...) rise to a point where the metal is worth more than the value of the coin there will be hoarding based on this, just as some people are hoarding pre-82 pennies. </p><p><br /></p><p>Nickels are also copper and nickel based but are not clad, the value of the metal in them is above 5 cents usually these days. While there is some hoarding of them they are still more then plentiful and there have been no shortages as a result. </p><p><br /></p><p>I don&#039;t see clad going away anytime soon, it works well, wears well and is cost effective. Should the costs go dramatically up or there is a radical re-imagining of the US coin system things could change but don&#039;t hold your breath. Dimes and quarters are the only circulating coins using copper-nickel clad and I haven&#039;t heard of any changes planned for these coins.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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