Nickels may be legal tender in the U.S., but no company is obliged to accept them as payment for a debt of any size, never mind one as large as Samsung's.
Besides, as Ken Tindell helpfully tweeted when the story first appeared on the Web, 20 billion nickels at 5 grams each would fill 2,755 18-wheel trucks (maximum legal weight: 80,000 lbs.).
This is what will happen. If Apple hasn’t done it already, they will apply to the court for a temporary injunction preventing Samsung from delivering more coins, or they will ask the court to enter an order charging Samsung with the costs of counting and depositing the coins.
As an aside, I wonder what effect a billion dollars in coinage will have on seignorage in the Federal Reserve district for California.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2012/aug/29/apple...