NICKEL IN COIN AGE
Nickel is one of the most widely used metals in modern coinage, though this was not always true. It was first discovered by the Swedish chemist Axel Cronstedt in 1751. The name of the metal is derived from “Old Nick” (the devil) because of its extreme hardness.
Although the United States in 1857 was the first modern nation to use a copper-nickel alloy for its coinage, it had actually been used in the ancient world by the Indo-Greek kingdom, in what is now Pakistan and Northwestern India. Under King Pantaleon (190–185 B.C.), for example, coins of small value were struck in an alloy consisting mostly of copper and nickel.
The United States was closely followed by Belgium in 1860 and Switzerland in 1879. The latter pieces are especially interesting as the head of Liberty on the Swiss pieces is similar to those of the United States, having “LIBERTAS” (Liberty) on the headband.
The Indo-Greek nickel coinage was soon forgotten, but in the early 1800s German chemists began to experiment with nickel. In its pure state it was then considered too hard for practical use, but in the city of Hildburghausen one ingenious person combined nickel, copper and zinc to form nickel silver, or German silver as it is sometimes called at the present time. This alloy has a fine finish, is resistant to scratches and
