Jefferson nickel

Jefferson nickel. The Jefferson nickel is a five-cent coin struck by the United States Mint since 1938. It features a portrait of Founding Father and third U.S. President Thomas Jefferson on the obverse and a depiction of his Virginia plantation, Monticello, on the reverse. The coin succeeded the Buffalo nickel and has remained in continuous production, with notable changes during World War II and for various commemorative programs.

History

The coin was introduced in 1938 following a competition to find a new design to replace the Buffalo nickel, which had been in use since 1913. The Treasury Department and the Commission of Fine Arts oversaw the selection process, ultimately choosing the work of German-born sculptor Felix Schlag. The outbreak of World War II led to a critical shortage of nickel, a strategic metal needed for the war effort. In response, from 1942 to 1945, the United States Mint produced "wartime nickels" with a new composition of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese, and placed a large mint mark above the dome of Monticello to denote the change. These emergency issues were authorized under the leadership of Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross.

Design

The obverse features a left-facing profile portrait of Thomas Jefferson, based on a marble bust by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. The inscription "IN GOD WE TRUST" appears to the left of the portrait, with "LIBERTY" and the date to the right. The reverse originally depicted a front-facing view of Monticello, Jefferson's neoclassical plantation home designed with influence from Italian architect Andrea Palladio. In 2004 and 2005, the United States Mint executed the Westward Journey nickel series to commemorate the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Louisiana Purchase, introducing new reverse designs such as the American bison and an ocean view inspired by the journals of William Clark. A modernized portrait of Jefferson, created by artist Jamie Franki, was introduced in 2006.

Production

Primary production has historically occurred at the Philadelphia Mint, the Denver Mint, and the San Francisco Mint. The standard composition since 1946 has been a cupronickel alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel. During the wartime period, the composition was altered to include silver, and these coins are distinguishable by their large mint marks from Philadelphia, Denver, or San Francisco. In the mid-1960s, due to rising metal prices and the Coinage Act of 1965, mint marks were temporarily removed from all circulating coins; they returned to the obverse near the date in 1968. Since 2017, the Philadelphia Mint's "P" mint mark has appeared on circulation strikes.

Varieties and errors

Notable varieties include the 1939-D nickel with a doubled-die reverse, the 1942–1945 wartime issues with their distinctive large mint marks and silver content, and the 1950-D nickel, which had a lower mintage and is sought after by collectors. Significant errors have captivated the hobby, such as the 1964-D nickel struck on a dime planchet and the 1971 no-S proof nickel, where the San Francisco Mint proof coin was struck without its mint mark. The 2005 "Ocean in View" nickel is also known for a rare variety showing dramatic die breaks on the reverse.

Collecting

The series is widely collected, with key dates including the 1939-D, the 1950-D, and the 1938-D/S over-mintmark variety. Complete sets can be assembled by date and mint mark, and specialized collectors seek examples in high grades from the Professional Coin Grading Service or the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. The wartime silver nickels form a popular subset, and modern commemorative issues like those from the Westward Journey nickel series are also actively collected. Annual proof sets from the San Francisco Mint and special releases from the United States Mint's America the Beautiful quarters program have maintained public interest in numismatics.

Category:Coins of the United States Category:1938 introductions