Did you know that today, May 16, is National Nickel Day? Neither did I, but I found it interesting;
History of Nickel
Nickel is a metal that can be found in many everyday items. It can be dated back more than 2,000 years as it has been found in metallic artifacts from that time. The Swedish chemist — Axel Cronstedt — was the first to identify and isolate nickel as an element. This took place in 1751.
Coins of the United States of America were manufactured with nickel alloyed with copper by 1857. Around 30 million nickels were printed between 1867 and 1868, according to records. Even when dimes and quarters became more popular, nickels remained the most practical coin.
Nickels became even more prevalent when vending machines, jukeboxes, and slot machines became popular. In the 20th century, nickels were the ideal denomination for these machines. The culture of America has been built around the Nickel and has been used in different areas of everyday life.
A Coke For A Nickel
Coca-Cola beverages cost a nickel when they first hit the market in 1886 and for 73 years, they stayed at that affordable price.
Curious why that happened?
Listen to NPR’s March 28, 2018 story “The Price of Coke Stayed The Same For 70 Years – Why?”
