Jefferson Nickels: Key Dates and Varieties

The People's Nickel

The Jefferson nickel, designed by Felix Schlag, has been in production since 1938 — making it one of the longest-running US coin designs. Based on a public design competition that attracted 390 entries, the original design features Thomas Jefferson on the obverse and his home Monticello on the reverse.

Design Evolution

• 1938–2003 — Original Schlag design. Jefferson faces left, Monticello on reverse.
• 2004–2005 — Westward Journey series. Two new obverse portraits and four new reverse designs celebrating the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Louisiana Purchase.
• 2006–present — New forward-facing Jefferson portrait by Jamie Franki. Return of Monticello reverse.

War Nickels (1942–1945)

During WWII, nickel was a strategic metal needed for armor plating. From mid-1942 through 1945, nickels were struck in a 35% silver alloy (56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese). These are easily identified by:

• A large mint mark above Monticello on the reverse (P, D, or S).
• A slightly different color — more silvery-gray than the usual nickel color.
• The "P" mint mark — the first time Philadelphia used a mint mark on any US coin.

War nickels contain approximately 0.0563 troy ounces of silver, giving them a melt value above face value when silver prices are elevated.

Key Dates

• 1938-D — First-year Denver issue. Low mintage (5.37M). $3+ in Good, $20+ in MS-65.
• 1938-S — First-year San Francisco. Low mintage (4.10M). $3+ in Good, $20+ in MS-65.
• 1939-D — Second-lowest mintage (3.51M) of the series. $10+ in Good, $100+ in MS-65.
• 1942-D — Pre-war composition, low mintage. $5+ in MS-63.
• 1950-D — The series key date. Mintage of only 2.63M. Heavily hoarded at the time, so uncirculated examples are available but circulated ones are scarce. $15+ in Good, $25+ in MS-65.

Full Steps (FS) Designation

The most important strike designation for Jefferson nickels. The steps of Monticello on the reverse should show 5 or 6 fully separated, unbroken horizontal lines. Due to the design's geometry, most Jefferson nickels show mushy or incomplete steps.

5 Full Steps (5FS) and 6 Full Steps (6FS) examples carry significant premiums:

• A common-date MS-65 Jefferson nickel: $3–$5.
• The same coin in MS-65 5FS: $20–$100+.
• In MS-65 6FS: $50–$500+ depending on the date.

For some dates (1953-S, 1954-S, many 1960s dates), Full Steps examples are genuinely rare even in lower Mint State grades.

Notable Varieties and Errors

• 1939 Doubled Die Reverse (Doubled Monticello) — Clear doubling on the building. $50+ in circulated grades.
• 1943/2-P Overdate — A 3 punched over a 2 in the date. War nickel variety. $75+ in VF.
• 1945-P Doubled Die Reverse — Doubling on "MONTICELLO" and "FIVE CENTS."
• 1949-D/S Over Mint Mark — A D punched over an S. $20+ in MS-63.
• 2005 Speared Bison — A die gouge creates what appears to be a spear through the bison's back. $50+ in MS-65.

Collecting Strategies

• Complete date and mint set — One of the most affordable complete US coin sets. Achievable for $200–$500 in circulated grades.
• War nickel set — All 11 silver war nickels (1942-P through 1945-S). Under $30 at current silver prices.
• Full Steps collecting — A challenging niche. Building a set of FS nickels across all dates is a lifelong pursuit.
• Proof sets — Jefferson nickel proofs from 1938–1964 and 1968–present are affordable and attractive.

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