Nickel medal by Metallium, Inc. Photo used by permission.
Diameter 19 mm, 3.7 grams, 99.6% pure. $8 on 9/2/2006.
This is a real Nickel. It is made of nickel, it depicts a nickel refinery, and it commemorates the 200th anniversary of the discovery of nickel.
Many countries make coins out of nickel or nickel alloys. Canadian 5-cent, 10-cent, and 25-cent coins are made of nickel. However, because nickel is slightly toxic, a skin irritant and a possible carcinogen, many european countries are phasing out the use of nickel in their coinage.
Although pure nickel is magnetic, many nickel alloys are not. The United States has never made a pure nickel coin, although many copper-nickel alloy pieces have been produced, including "white" Indian Head Cents, "nickel" 3-cent pieces, modern dimes, quarters, and half dollars... and of course the five cent piece colloquially (but inaccurately) known as a Nickel.
Since 1965, US "clad" coins are copper-nickel bonded to a core of pure copper.
Nickel medal by Metallium, Inc. Photo used by permission.
Diameter 19 mm, 3.7 grams, 99.6% pure. $8 on 9/2/2006.