Each nickel is five cents, so multiply by 0.05
dollars = nickels × 0.05, nickels = dollars × 20
A nickel is worth 5 cents, so a count of nickels times $0.05 gives the dollar value. Going the other way, there are exactly 20 nickels in a dollar (100 cents ÷ 5). A common slip is treating a nickel as a penny — it is 5 cents, not 1.
Quick reference (including coin rolls)
| Nickels | Dollars | Rolls (40 each) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $1.00 | 0.5 roll |
| 40 | $2.00 | 1 roll |
| 100 | $5.00 | 2.5 rolls |
| 200 | $10.00 | 5 rolls |
| 500 | $25.00 | 12.5 rolls |
| 1,000 | $50.00 | 25 rolls |
| 2,000 | $100.00 | 50 rolls |
A full roll is 40 nickels = $2.00, not 50 — that is the standard bank roll. Each nickel weighs 5 grams, so a full roll weighs 200 g, a handy way to check a roll by weight.
Common questions
How many nickels are in a dollar?
20. A nickel is worth 5 cents and a dollar is 100 cents, so 100 divided by 5 is 20 nickels.
How many nickels are in a roll, and what is it worth?
A standard roll holds 40 nickels, which is $2.00. That is the Federal Reserve standard; the wrapper is blue.
How much do a certain number of nickels come to?
Multiply the count by $0.05, or divide by 20. So 80 nickels is 80 divided by 20, which is $4.00; 500 nickels is $25.00.
