Themetal labels are applied in many products such as cosmetics and furniture, etc. Most of them are made of zinc alloy and bronze. There is one material which can be adopted to make metal labels-the nickel, in American usage, is a five-cent coin issued by the United States Mint. Composed of 75%copper and 25%nickel.The silver half dime, also equal to five cents, had been issued since the 1790s. The economic upset of the American Civil War drove gold and silver from circulation, and the government at first issued paper currency in place of low-value coins. As two-cent and three-cent pieces without precious metal labels had been successfully introduced, Congress also authorized a five-cent piece of base metal; the Mint began striking this in 1866.

The Shield nickel, the initial design, was struck until 1883, when it was replaced by the Liberty Head nickel. As part of a drive to increase the beauty of American coinage, the Buffalo nickel was introduced in 1913; it was followed by the Jefferson nickel in 1938. In 2004 and 2005, special designs in honor of the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were issued. The Mint in 2006 reverted to using Jefferson nickel designer Felix Schlag's original reverse, although substituting a new obverse by Jamie Franki.

Although specie (gold or silver coins) was hoarded or exported, the copper-nickel cent, then the only base metal denomination being struck, also vanished. In 1864, Congress began the process of restoring coins to circulation by abolishing the three-cent note and authorizing bronze metal labels and two-cent pieces, with low intrinsic values, to be struck. These new coins initially proved popular, though the two-cent piece soon faded from circulation. On March 3, 1865, Congress passed legislation authorizing the Mint to strike three-cent pieces of 75%copper and 25%nickel.