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Interestingly, the Canadian coins are the same dimensions, but are magnetic. US vending machines used to have a magnet that would deflect Canadian coins into the coin return slot.

When I was growing up near Detroit, merchants took US and Canadian coins interchangeably, and gave both back out as change. But the Post Office was strict about it. I managed to collect a set of King George coins -- at least the smaller ones.

And some Canadian coins used be actual sterling, until they went to 80%ag. I think US coins were always 90.

A few nickels from the early 1940s were, I think, 43% Ag, due to wartime metal shortages.

But man, if you ever find a 1943 copper wheat penny in good to fair condition, you can think about retiring. The 1943 steel penny goes for about < $2.00 on average.

But they can be picked up with right kind of electromagnetic arrangement[0].

[0]. https://youtu.be/7ZeBWJLRXqM&t=1231

I have a shrunken nickel from these folks:

https://www.capturedlightning.com/frames/interesting1.html

Don't know if the copper figures into the shrinking...