Jefferson War Nickel, 1942-1945 : A Collector’s Guide

As the United States shifted its industrial might to the war effort, the Federal Government closely evaluated its supply of strategic materials. Copper, which the Mint used for cents and alloyed with silver and gold for other denominations, was diverted to military use in 1943.

Likewise, the government redirected nickel, used to strike the Jefferson five-cent coin, in the spring of 1942, and it remained absent from coinage until the war ended in 1945. Manufacturers relied on nickel to build the P-51 Mustang and the B-29 Superfortress. In addition, its anti-corrosive properties made it ideal for constructing Navy ships and amphibious landing craft.

The Search for a Replacement Metal

As a result of these shortages, the United States Mint began searching for a replacement for nickel. However, this effort raised a familiar issue that had already surfaced during the transition from the Liberty Head Nickel to the Indian Head (Buffalo) Nickel: the new metal had to meet the needs of the vending machine industry.

Importantly, vending machines check not only a coin’s weight but also its electrical resistance. Therefore, any substitute for nickel in the five-cent coin needed to satisfy both requirements. Otherwise, tens of thousands of machines across the country would fail to recognize the new coins.

After several trials, metallurgists identified a suitable solution. They determined that an alloy of copper, silver, and manganese met both the weight and electrical specifications. Consequently, with the passage of the Act of March 27, 1942, Congress authorized the new “War Nickel” alloy.

Soon after, the Mint produced the first coins of this new composition in October of that year. As a result, five-cent coins entered circulation without their namesake metal, there was no nickel in the “nickel.” Notably, these wartime nickels marked the first use of silver in a five-cent denomination since the half dime was last minted in 1873.

How Can I Tell if I Have a War Nickel?

However, not every nickel struck in 1942 qualifies as a War Nickel.

Before Congress authorized the change on March 27, the Philadelphia and Denver Mints struck a combined 63,727,000 coins in the standard composition. After authorization, the Philadelphia Mint produced 57,873,000 wartime nickels for circulation, along with 27,600 Proof examples. Meanwhile, the Denver Mint did not strike additional nickels in 1942. In contrast, the San Francisco Mint produced 32,900,000 War Nickels after striking none earlier in the year.

To distinguish the new alloy coins from regular issues, the Mint introduced a clear visual marker. Specifically, it used oversized mintmarks.

Under normal circumstances, mintmarks for Denver and San Francisco appear as small letters positioned above the steps on the right side of Monticello, home of President and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, on the reverse. In contrast, wartime nickels display a large mintmark above the dome of Monticello. Furthermore, to meet this requirement, the Mint used the “P” mintmark for Philadelphia coins for the first time.

After the war ended, the Mint resumed using the standard nickel composition. At the same time, it returned the “D” and “S” mintmarks to their original positions. Over time, approximately 870 million Jefferson War Nickels disappeared from circulation. In many cases, the public removed them, as often happens when “bad” money follows “good.” Eventually, collector interest in these unusual coins grew. Today, dealers frequently package and market sets of worn examples to beginning collectors.

Characteristics of the Jefferson War Nickel

Wartime nickels differ noticeably from standard Jefferson Nickels. For example, they typically appear brighter and often show stronger strikes. In addition, they tone similarly to 90% silver coins and sometimes display vivid iridescent colors. Collectors also frequently encounter examples with Full Steps details from this period.

However, not every coin meets high-quality standards. Because the wartime alloy did not always blend evenly, some coins exhibit lamination defects or irregular oxidation. Therefore, collectors building high-end registry sets should avoid coins with these impairments.

Jefferson War Nickel Varieties

Several collectible varieties exist. Notable examples include the 1943-P 3 Over 2, the 1943-P Doubled-Die Obverse, the 1943-P Doubled Eye, and the 1945-P Doubled-Die Reverse, along with other minor die variations.

In addition, the Mint produced several off-metal strikes. For instance, some 1942-P and 1943-P nickels were struck on copper-nickel planchets. Conversely, a few 1946 examples were struck on leftover silver-alloy blanks—a situation similar to the famous 1943 Bronze Cent.

Henning’s Folly

In the early 1950s, 1944 copper-nickel coins without the P mintmark were discovered in circulation, but these were determined to be counterfeits. CoinWeek contributing writer Tyler Rossi wrote an excellent piece on the Henning counterfeit 1944 nickels.

In-Depth Jefferson War Nickel Date Analysis by CoinWeek Notes

• 1943-S
• 1944-P

Design

Obverse:

The obverse displays a left-facing portrait of President and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, who wears a coat and a wig representative of the period. Inside a flat rim is the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to the left of the portrait, and the word LIBERTY and the date to the right, the last two separated by a small centered five-point star.

Reverse:

The reverse shows an elevation view of the front of Jefferson’s Virginia mansion Monticello, with the word MONTICELLO below. Around the smooth rim are the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM at the top and the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA at the bottom; The denomination FIVE CENTS in smaller letters forms a concentric arc above STATES OF and below MONTICELLO. Wartime nickels were minted in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver; P, S, and D mintmarks are located above the building, below E PLURIBUS UNUM.

Edge:

The edge of all Jefferson War Nickels is plain or smooth, without reeding or edge lettering.

Designer

Felix Schlag was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1891. After receiving an education at the Munich University of Fine Arts, he moved to the United States in 1929. Schlag died in 1974. Yet while he did win numerous art contests and commissions throughout much of the remainder of his life, the Jefferson Nickel was his only coin design.

Coin Specifications

• Coin Type: Jefferson War Nickel
• Years of Issue: 1942–1945
• Mintage (Circulation): High: 271,165,000 (1943-P) … Low: 15,294,000 (1943-D)
• Mintage (Proof): 27,600 (1942-P only)
• Alloy Composition: 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese
• Weight: 5.00 grams
• Diameter: 21.20 millimeters
• Edge: Plain
• Designer: Felix Schlag

Additional References

• Bowers, Q. David. The Experts Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare Coins. Whitman Publishing.
• A Guide Book of Buffalo and Jefferson Nickels. Whitman Publishing.
• A Guide Book of United States Type Coins. Whitman Publishing.
• Breen, Walter. Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of U.S. Coins. Doubleday.
• Guth, Ron, and Jeff Garrett. United States Coinage: A Study by Type. Whitman Publishing.
• Taxay, Don. The U.S. Mint and Coinage. Arco Publishing.
• Yeoman, R.S., and Jeff Garrett (editor). The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins. Whitman Publishing.

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