Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) a nickel coin.

1857		N.Y. Herald 27 May 5/2: The bags containing the ‘Nicks’ were neat little canvass [sic] arrangements, each of which held five hundred [of the new coins] [DA].
1865		G.A. Sala My Diary in America II 54: Two sticks of lollipops are to be had for two ‘nicks’.
1894		S. Crane in N.Y. Press Nov. in Stallman (1966) 106: Say, Jimmie, gimme change for a nick.
1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 89: Ordered five drinks [...] and found [...] I was shy on the price of them. Didn’t have a nick.
1913–14		E. O’Neill The Web in Ten ‘Lost’ Plays (1995) 54: I ain’t got a nick.
1932		L.W. Merryweather ‘Argot of an Orphans’ Home’ in AS VII:6 402: nick, n. A nickel.
1942		‘Marienne’ ‘Solid Meddlin’’ in People’s Voice (NY) 11 Apr. 30/1: Kay Harrison is sorta busy these days changin’ bills into nicks and dimes.

2. (US) generic for money.

1879		Cincinnati Enquirer 7 Sept. 10/7: Wealth, Ore, Dust, Rocks, Spondulicks, Shekels, Ducats, Nicks, Flimsies, Filthy Lucre, Trash, Shiners, Shinnies—are the synonyms of money.
1959		H. Ellison ‘This Is Jackie Spinning’ Gentleman Junkie (1961) 72: Penny-ante chisellers who take nicks out of my till.

3. (US) $5 or $5 worth, as in a gambling chip.

1961

cited in Lighter HDAS II (1997).

4. (US drugs) a $5 worth bag of marijuana or other drug, e.g. crack cocaine.

1988		Boogie Down Productions ‘Illegal Business’ 🎵 It was freezin cold, he was standing on the block / Sellin cheeba, nick’s and dimes.
1997		L. Pettiway Workin’ It 61: He was smoking pot and dealing it. Like customers come to the door, I want five ‘nicks’.
2002		50 Cent ‘Wangsta’ 🎵 Right now we on the grind / To hurry up and cop and go we sellin nick’s and dimes.
2003		Pariah ‘FFA Battle...join in’ 17 Sept. on VBHeaven Freestyle Forum 🌐 While you pushin nicks and dimes my niggas makin big moves.