Series guide · Jefferson nickels

Wartime Silver Jefferson Nickels: Collecting the 1942–1945 Set

During World War II, the Mint took nickel out of the five-cent piece and replaced part of it with silver. The result is a short, distinctive sub-series inside the Jefferson nickel run: eleven coins, easy to identify by a big mintmark over Monticello, and a perfect small set for a new collector or a collector who wants a project with a clear finish line.

Why silver went into the nickel

Nickel was a strategic war material. To conserve it, the five-cent piece was changed partway through 1942 to an alloy with no nickel at all: 56% copper, 35% silver and 9% manganese. The coin's size, weight and design stayed the same so it would still work in vending machines and look familiar in change. After the war, in 1946, the Mint went back to the prewar copper-nickel alloy.

Struck

1942–1945

Designer

Felix Schlag (Jefferson design, from 1938)

Alloy

56% Cu, 35% Ag, 9% Mn

Set size

11 coins

The Jefferson nickel itself began in 1938, designed by Felix Schlag, with Thomas Jefferson on the obverse and his home, Monticello, on the reverse. Schlag's initials were added below the bust in 1966, so you won't find them on wartime coins.

How to identify a war nickel

You don't need a scale or a test kit. Turn the coin over and look above the dome of Monticello:

The big P is a milestone: these were the first US coins to carry a Philadelphia mintmark at all. Philadelphia coins had always gone unmarked before, and the P wasn't used again on a circulating nickel until 1980.

War nickels also tend to look different with age. The alloy often tones to a darker, sometimes uneven gray or brownish color, and many show spotting. That isn't proof of anything on its own — the mintmark position is the identifier — but it's why a roll of war nickels often looks duller than prewar coins.

The 11-coin set

No 1942-D war nickel exists; Denver only struck the regular alloy that year. None of the eleven is a great rarity in circulated condition, which makes this a set you can complete quickly. The challenge shifts toward quality: original, attractive mint-state examples with good strikes take more looking. Sub-varieties such as repunched mintmarks and the well-known 1943 overdate exist too, but those are variety-collecting territory rather than part of the basic set.

1942: two alloys, one year

Because the switch happened during 1942, that single year has both kinds of nickel:

• 1942 (no mintmark) and 1942-D (small D right of Monticello): regular copper-nickel, struck before the change.
• 1942-P and 1942-S (large mark above the dome): wartime silver alloy.

A complete Jefferson nickel album includes all four. A war-nickel-only set includes just the two silver coins. If you're looking at a 1942 and can't decide, the mintmark position settles it; read our dating and mintmark guide for the broader picture.

Traps: the no-mintmark 1944 and others

Other things to watch for:

• “Missing mintmark” claims on other dates. Grease-filled dies and wear can weaken a mark; that doesn't make a new variety. Error and variety questions are a separate field.
• Bright, shiny war nickels in worn condition. The alloy tones naturally; a worn coin that looks freshly bright has usually been cleaned. See why you shouldn't clean old coins.
• “Silver content” hype. These coins contain silver, so their metal content matters to some buyers, but that's a different question from collector interest. Our silver melt-value trap article explains the difference.

Condition, toning and steps

Where wear shows

• Obverse: Jefferson's cheekbone and the hair just behind it.
• Reverse: the steps of Monticello, the columns and the triangular roof above them.

Strike and steps

Jefferson nickels are famous for weak strikes on the steps of Monticello. Coins with sharply separated steps look better and are recognized by grading services with a special designation. For series collecting, the practical point is that weak steps don't automatically mean wear — check for luster and for rub on the cheekbone. Our weak strike vs wear article walks through the method.

Toning and spotting

The manganese and silver in the alloy make war nickels prone to dull toning and dark spots. Attractive, even toning is a plus; heavy spotting is a minus. Natural toning cannot be safely removed at home. For anything unusual, our toning guide and when to call a conservator are the next reads.

Where war nickels fit in a bigger collection

The eleven war nickels can stand alone, but they also slot neatly into three larger projects:

• A full Jefferson nickel set. The series runs from 1938 to the present, and the wartime coins are its most distinctive chapter. Many collectors start a Jefferson album and treat the silver row as a milestone.
• A 20th-century type set. A war nickel is often included as a separate type because of its different alloy and mintmark placement. Our 20th-century type set guide explains how to choose type coins.
• A World War II coinage display. Paired with a 1943 zinc-coated steel cent, the war nickel tells the story of how metal shortages changed everyday money. Both are common enough to find in attractive condition.

Whichever route you choose, buy the eleven war nickels to the same standard so they look like a set when they sit together. A row of mismatched coins is the most common reason collectors end up upgrading later.

How to collect them

1. Check your own change jar and old rolls first. War nickels still turn up in old accumulations because people saved them.
2. Decide between a circulated set and a mint-state set. Circulated is quick and inexpensive; mint state is where you learn about strike and toning.
3. Match the look. Eleven coins displayed together look best when their color and wear are consistent.
4. Research before upgrading. Compare completed sales of the same date in the same grade, such as sold 1943-P uncirculated war nickels.

A small dedicated holder or album page keeps the set together, and individual archival holders work for upgrades. Avoid soft vinyl flips for long-term storage; see PVC risk and archival alternatives. A Jefferson nickel album covers the war nickels in their place in the full series, and archival 2x2 holders are fine for individual coins.