Dawn has $\$ $1.20 in nickels, dimes and quarters. For each nickel she has one dime and for each dime she has one quarter. How many total coins does she have?
If Dawn has $x$ nickels, then she has $x$ dimes and $x$ quarters. In cents, we set up an equation for how much money she has. \begin{align*}
5x+10x+25x&=120\quad\Rightarrow\\
40x&=120\quad\Rightarrow\\
x&=3
\end{align*} She has $3$ of each coin for a total of $\boxed{9}$ coins.