Welcome! Click a link below for the full stories about the five-cent coin we like to call the "nickel."
Know Your Nickels? Think you know a lot about the nickels from the Westward Journey Nickel Series™? Then check out this trivia quiz!
More Fun for Kids! See how our five-cent coin has changed over the course of history! We've got lots of links to stories about nickels, both new and old!
Fun for Teachers Too! Lesson plans, Teacher Features, and more...see how nickels can become one of your favorite classroom helpers.
Know Your Nickels?
Answer these questions to see how well you know the nickels in the Westward Journey Nickel Series™.
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Which two historical events does the Westward Journey Nickel Series™ celebrate?
The new designs celebrate the Louisiana Purchase and the westward journey of Lewis and Clark.
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About how long before the series began did those two events happen?
Two hundred years: the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the westward journey of Lewis and Clark in 1804 through 1806.
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The first design in the series is based on Thomas Jefferson's "Peace Medal." To whom were these medals often given?
Lewis and Clark gave the medals as gifts to the American Indian chiefs they met as a sign of peace.
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Who traveled on the keelboat shown on the Keelboat nickel?
Lewis, Clark, and some of their "Corps of Discovery" crew traveled on this boat at the start of their journey.
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What does the bison on the American Bison nickel symbolize?
This buffalo reminds us of the American Indians who counted on the animal for food, clothing, and shelter, and of all the wildlife that Lewis and Clark wrote about and brought back to the United States as a record for science.
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The back of the Ocean In View nickel (whose design is based on a photograph by Andrew E. Cier of Astoria, Oregon) uses the quote "Ocean in view! O! The joy!" Where does this quote come from?
Captain Clark wrote these words in one of his map journals when he was close to seeing the Pacific Ocean.
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Has anything about the Monticello design on the Return to Monticello nickel changed from the design on 1938–2003 nickels?
The new image takes advantage of the advances in coin-making technology to produce a crisper, more detailed Monticello than has ever been seen on the five-cent coin.
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How many US circulating coins have shown a president facing forward as on the 2006 nickel?
None. Presidential portraits had usually been side views.
More Fun for Kids
- The facts above and more are covered on the "New Nickels" page. Click here to read about all five nickels in the Westward Journey Nickel Series.
- The story of our five-cent coin is told on its own Five-Cent Coin (Nickel) page. On this page you'll also find links to Fun Facts that relate to nickels.
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A historic nickel is sometimes the Coin of the Month.
- Pre-2004 Nickel: September 2003
- "Buffalo" or "Indian Head" nickel: June 2001
- Shield nickel of 1866: May 2002
- Westward Journey Nickel Series™ nickels: Peace Medal Nickel in April 2004, Keelboat Nickel in September 2004, American Bison Nickel in March 2005, "Ocean in View" Nickel in November 2005, and Return to Monticello Nickel in March of 2006.
- Three-cent nickel: July 2008
- If you like games, you'll want to play "The Lewis and Clark Adventure"! Face some of the same challenges and joys the explorers and their crew faced. Launch your journey from the Games page by clicking on the "Lewis and Clark Adventure" icon.
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You have two games where you can test your knowledge of Thomas Jefferson and other presidents:
- Click "Presidential Portraits on the Games page.
- Click "Name the Presidents" (case 6) on the "Get a Clue About Collecting" page.
- Would you like to travel right alongside the Corps of Discovery? Then just take a quick trip in the Time Machine! Pick the Lewis and Clark era, 1805.
Fun for Teachers Too
- See how the new nickels can be an educational aid with the Westward Journey Nickel Series™ lesson plans. These plans for Kindergarten through 12th grade will inspire your students to learn about the journey of Lewis and Clark and many other areas of study.
- In the Teacher Feature Stockroom, you can browse a wide variety of mini-lessons organized by subject area and title. One Teacher Feature is geared specifically to the Lewis and Clark era of the Time Machine.
- A whole page of nickel-related resources await you on the Coin Curricula page (Return to Monticello Nickel). At the bottom of the page, the "Teachers' Corner" section connects you with additional relevant resources.
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