(copying the comment I made on the blog) If you are "buying" nickels for the metals, it would appear the value exceeds the cost. The way the statement about c

(copying the comment I made on the blog) If you are "buying" nickels for the metals, it would appear the value exceeds the cost. The way the statement about cost and value is phrased implies that the value of the coin is equivalent to the face value--which is incorrect. The value provided by the nickel is its usefulness as a tool to perform transactions. When the mint mints a nickel, it is not adding five cents to the GDP. Micropayment is still an unsolved problem.