Convert nickels to dollars and dollars to nickels. Roll calculator, weight estimation, denomination equivalents, and nickel specifications reference.
A nickel is worth 5 cents ($0.05), making 20 nickels to a dollar. Converting between nickels and dollars is a common task when counting coins, preparing bank deposits, or teaching children about money. This calculator provides instant conversion along with practical information like roll counts, total weight, and equivalents in other denominations.
US nickel rolls contain 40 coins worth $2.00 each. Nickels are notable for their relatively high weight (5 grams each) and the fact that their metal content is worth nearly as much as their face value — around $0.048 at current metal prices. This makes them unique among circulating US coins.
Whether you are wrapping coins for a bank deposit, estimating the value of a coin jar by weight, or running a cash-heavy business that needs to order rolls from the bank, this tool gives you everything you need. The weight calculator is particularly useful: simply weigh your nickels and the tool tells you their value.
Nickels are heavier than any other US coin relative to their face value (5g for 5¢ vs 5.67g for 25¢). This makes weight-based estimation practical. The roll calculator helps you prepare bank deposits efficiently, knowing exactly how many complete $2 rolls you have and how many nickels remain for recount-free balancing.
Nickels to Dollars: dollars = nickels × $0.05 = nickels ÷ 20 Dollars to Nickels: nickels = dollars ÷ $0.05 = dollars × 20 Rolls: rolls = nickels ÷ 40 Weight: grams = nickels × 5.0
Result: $2.00 (1 complete roll)
40 nickels × $0.05 = $2.00. This is exactly one standard nickel roll. The 40 nickels weigh 200 grams (about 7.05 ounces).
The five-cent coin was originally called a "half disme" and was made of silver. The Shield nickel (1866) was the first base-metal five-cent coin. The Liberty (V) nickel followed (1883-1913), then the iconic Buffalo nickel (1913-1938), and finally the Jefferson nickel (1938-present). The 2004-2005 Westward Journey series commemorated the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Because the metal in a nickel is worth nearly 5 cents, some investors have hoarded nickels as a hedge against inflation. If the US Mint ever changes the composition (as they did with pennies in 1982), pre-change nickels could become worth significantly more than face value, similar to pre-1965 silver coins.
Cash-heavy businesses like laundromats, vending operators, and parking meter companies handle thousands of nickels daily. Automated coin counters sort by size and weight, and nickels at exactly 5g and 21.21mm are among the easiest to identify. The $2 roll value makes inventory management straightforward.
There are 20 nickels in one dollar. Each nickel is worth $0.05 (5 cents), so 20 × $0.05 = $1.00.
A standard US nickel roll contains 40 nickels, worth $2.00. The roll weighs 200 grams (about 7.05 ounces).
A US nickel weighs exactly 5.000 grams (0.176 ounces). This convenient weight makes estimation easy — every 100 grams of nickels = $1.00.
Almost — the metal content of a nickel is worth about $0.048 at current prices (75% copper, 25% nickel). It has come close to and occasionally exceeded face value when metal prices spike.
During 1942-1945, nickels were made with 35% silver (plus 56% copper and 9% manganese) to conserve nickel for the war effort. They are identified by a large mintmark above Monticello on the reverse. They are worth several dollars each in silver content.
Nickel rolls use blue coin wrappers. The color coding is: penny = red, nickel = blue, dime = green, quarter = orange.