Why are Dimes Still So Small? 1 1

[EagleRJO]

I was looking at some older silver dimes and half dimes, and was wondering why modern dimes are still smaller and thinner than modern nickels.

Originally nickels (or half dimes) were made of silver and smaller and thinner than silver dimes to contain a corresponding amount of precious metal.  But they were more easily lost or damaged like silver trimes, so later in the 1800's the composition of nickels were changed to Cu-Ni in order for them to be made larger and thicker.

At that time the dime was smaller since they were still made out of silver.  But why didn't they also change the composition of a dime at that time to make it larger and thicker than a nickel, or at least make that change in the mid 1900's when the composition of a dime also changed to Cu-Ni?

I guess were were just accustomed to the size of dimes not being progressive by the mid 1900's, but it did get me thinking why the change wasn't originally made.

[Sandon]

   When the government decided to eliminate silver from coins in the 1960s, the new coins, which were intended to circulate alongside the silver ones, had to work in vending machines, fit into the same sized rolls, and be easily recognizable to the public. Therefore, they had to be the same size. 

[EagleRJO]

Yea, keeping the same size for existing vending machines already in widespread use when the dime composition was changed makes a lot of sense.

[RWB]

On 10/18/2023 at 9:11 PM, EagleRJO said:

Yea, keeping the same size for existing vending machines already in widespread use when the dime composition was changed makes a lot of sense.

That is also the reason for clad composition. Electrical properties mimicked standard silver alloy.

[cobymordet]

On an unrelated note: If, and or when, the US changes their coinage dimensions, (because let's face it, vending machines seem to be becoming card only) I wonder if Canada and Mexico would follow suit.