With the end of the penny, is the clock ticking for the nickel?

The American penny is history. The nickel might be next.

The last pennies were pressed at the US Mint in Philadelphia on Wednesday, a victim of production costs higher than their worth coupled with limited usefulness. While the penny remains legal tender, banks and merchants are already reporting shortages.

But the factors that prompted the government to stop making pennies are even truer for the nickel. Pennies cost nearly 5 cents to make – 4 cents more than they’re worth. The nickel’s net loss is nearly 9 cents per coin.

Treasurer of the United States Brandon Beach holds the last penny stamped at the US Mint on November 12 in Philadelphia. Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images

Nickels are 75% copper and 25% nickel, while pennies — despite their reputation as a copper coin — are copper-pla