Why do people say don't take wooden nickels?

This saying goes back to 1915 and probably began simply as a humorous warning to country folk going to the city not to be taken in by city slickers trying to pay them off with wooden nickels.

Why shouldn't you take wooden nickels?

Wooden nickels were most commonly issued in the U.S. in the 1930′s, after the start of the Great Depression. A more popular American adage, “Don't take any wooden nickels” is considered a lighthearted reminder to be cautious in one's dealings and is in fact directly related in meaning to our story here.

What does wooden nickel mean in slang?

An American adage, "Don't take any wooden nickels", is considered a lighthearted reminder to be cautious in one's dealings.

What is the story behind wooden nickels?

A meeting of the Chamber of Commerce resulted in the local newspaper printing up the first issue of wooden money in the United States. In 1933, Blaine, Washington issued round wooden coins when their bank failed. These were the first issues of wooden money in the U.S.

What does "don't take any wooden nickels" mean spiritually?

“Don't take any wooden nickels!” That's the way they used to say it in the old days, when some people did actually make wooden imitations of nickels to pass as counterfeit money, thus the saying, which today if used at all, simply means: “don't be fooled.” The Scriptures say: “Be not deceived,” and if you think about ...

Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels: Idiomatic Expressions in English

Are pre-1964 nickels worth anything?

Jefferson nickels generally range in value from face (five cents) to a few dollars. Even the 35% silver wartime nickels bring only a few dollars in circulated condition. Uncirculated coins have a huge range of value, from a few dollars to tens of thousands for mint-condition pre-1965 samples.

What does spitting wooden nickels mean?

Summary. The phrases including spitting nickels generally mean to be able to do something impossible or astonishing. Standing on your head and spitting nickels dates from the early 1970s. Plain spitting nickels dates from the 1940s, in an anecdote from the 1910s.

Is it legal to use wooden nickels?

Here in the United States, a wooden nickel was not (typically) legal tender but instead more of a novelty coin often redeemable for an item such as a drink issued by merchants or banks as part of a promotion. Wooden nickels became popular in the 1930s though they may date back to the 1880s.

What is a wooden nickel worth today?

Value of your vintage, mid 20th century, Indian head in profile and buffalo wooden nickel, is $5 - $10.

What nickels should be kept?

Silver nickels from 1942 to 1945, also known as war nickels, are made of 35% silver and are worth more than their face value depending on the current price of silver. In high grades, they can be worth significantly more.

What does silver dollar and wooden nickel mean?

Silver Dollars and Wooden Nickels is a weekly feature in the Appeal's Opinion pages in which the Appeal gives Silver Dollars to those who deserve recognition and occasionally a Wooden Nickel to those who deserve criticism.

Why shouldn't you take any wooden nickels?

This saying goes back to 1915 and probably began simply as a humorous warning to country folk going to the city not to be taken in by city slickers trying to pay them off with wooden nickels. Wooden nickels have never been counterfeited, but wooden coins have often been made as souvenirs of centennials.

What does "don't nickel and dime me" mean?

/ˌnɪk. əl.ənˈdaɪm/ to damage someone or something either by taking away many small amounts of money or by giving too much attention to details: The banks nickle and dime you to death with all the little fees they charge you. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.

Why do people hoard nickels?

It is (supposedly) likely that it will eventually be discontinued, in part because of the disparity in value making it costly to keep minting them. Therefore: hoard nickels until it's legal to melt them, then profit from your cheaply obtained metal.

Why is nickel called Devil's copper?

As it was treated as a copper pipe that cannot be smelted at that time, it was nicknamed as Kupfevnicke meaning Devil's Copper. German mine workers came up with the nickname considering it as Nick Alt, a legendary mischievous spirit known to appear in remote mine and haze miners.

What is a 1943 nickel worth today?

The Philadelphia-minted 1943 nickels are the most common. A standard 1943 P nickel value today ranges from $1 to $60, while Full Steps (FS) specimens in high grades can exceed $12,000.

Why do people collect 1964 nickels?

The 1964 nickel represents a tipping point in U.S. coinage. Amid a national coin shortage, the U.S. Mint halted the production of silver dimes and quarters after this year, leading to the discontinuation of mint marks from 1965–1967.

What does wooden nickels mean in slang?

However the wooden coins had no lasting value. Hence a proverb came into to being 'don't take no wooden nickels' meaning be careful of your dealings with people or be wise in your transactions.

Where did the term spitting tacks come from?

To apply tacks rapidly, an upholsterer will hold tacks in the mouth and spit them, head first, onto the magnetized face of the hammer. This gave rise to the phrase "spitting tacks." Staple guns and hammer tackers have largely replaced this traditional way of tacking as a commercial upholstery technique.

Should I keep a 1964 nickel?

Yes, 1964 nickels can be worth saving, especially if they are in uncirculated condition, have full steps, or possess notable mint errors. These characteristics can make them valuable to collectors.

Is it legal to melt down nickels?

Pennies and nickels contain copper, zinc, and other metals that are of great monetary value. It is because of this that melting down these metals for the sole intention of selling to offshore or local metal scraping industries is illegal.

How much is a 1964 with no mint mark worth?

The 1964 Lincoln cent with no mint mark was minted in Philadelphia and is a very common coin with over 2.6 billion of them minted that year. In the circulated conditions of yours they sell for under 10 cents each. The coin only commands over $1 in graded mid range of Mint Conditions.