AnandTech claims that the mystery chip spotted in a purported leak of iPhone 5 hardware is not a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip:

Given the primarily metal backside of the new iPhone, it's highly unlikely that NFC is in the cards for this generation. In fact, given the very little space at top and bottom dedicated to those glass RF windows, you can almost entirely rule it out.

Citing "my beard" as his source, The Loop's Jim Dalrymple also confirms (with a simple "yep") AnandTech's assertion that the new iPhone will not include NFC hardware.

If true, this would set Apple back another year behind Android devices that already contain NFC hardware and severly cripple Apple's promising PassBook app, due to ship in iOS 6.

Is NFC important to you? Should Apple include NFC hardware in the i5?