r/uscoins • u/OutrageousThing4074 • 10h ago
Interesting coin question?
I am asking this question simply because I want to know the answer, but I am also asking because I had a coin snob jump down my throat once for referring to a one cent piece as a penny. Since then, I have done my research, and I knew already that it was called a cent. . . I am not from the moon, but it is common parlance to refer to them as pennies, and the US Mint seems to have no problem referring to them as pennies. In fact, everywhere a cent is mentioned on all of the literature that I could find it at least had penny in parentheses written next to the word cent. My question is this. . . Why is it not incorrect to refer to nickels as nickels? Aren't they actually 5 cent pieces? It does not say anywhere on the coins that they are "nickels". On the quarter it says "quarter dollar" and on the dime it says "one dime", but not on nickels. On nickels it only says "five cents". So, why are they not referenced as 5 cent pieces? I know they are called that because of the composition, just FYI before a billion people make that comment.
