Depending on the condition, the mode Jefferson nickel value is about 25 cents. While their denominational face value is $0.05 and a metal weight of 5 grams, the nickels can go up to $40.
This article will help you understand the Jefferson Nickel series, their worth at numismatic markets, and how to grade before sell .
What is a Jefferson Nickel coin?
It is a five-cent coin strike for the beginning time in 1938 to replace the Buffalo Nickel coins. Designed by Felix Oscar Schlag, the five-cent Jefferson mint circulated across the area until 2004, when it had a new design.
Jefferson Nickel History
The Jefferson Nickel coin is one of the oldest mint series running in the history of America. Its production began on October 3, 1938, at three mints across the United States of America. Minting was so intense that 12 million Jefferson coins were already circulating in the nation by November of the same year .
beginning, The US mint launched a public competition for a new design of the Jefferson coin in 1938. The nominate designs required a portrayal of Jefferson on the obverse and his estate of the realm ( Monticello ) on the turn back. Out of 390 entries received, sculptor Felix Oscar emerged tops, bagging a sock $ 1,000 choice for the design .
concisely after output, the Jefferson Nickel cent was barely ascribable to massive hoard. Hoarding occurred because Nickel was an all-important share of the Second World War in which the nation was a key actor. however, in 1940, Jefferson ’ s five-cent coins began massive circulation .
In 1942, the US Congress authorized a reduced habit of Nickel to manufacture the Jefferson five cents. It aimed at having an alloy that used short or no Nickel so far still satisfied forge detection techniques at all vending machines. so, mints used an admixture dwell of 56 % bull, 9 % Manganese, and 35 % silver to produce the coins .
Jefferson coins struck during this period were consequently referred to as “ war nickels ” because they had a lower Nickel contentedness occasioned by the second World War. During the lapp year, the mint scratch “ P ” ( Philadelphia ) appeared for the first time on Jefferson coins, although not for retentive .
The coins retained their original design until 2005 when innovations came into place. To date, the production of Jefferson Nickel coins continues, with new designs expected after put out President Donald Trump signed the Collectible Redesign Act of 2020 .
Which US Mint Produced the Jefferson Nickel Coin?
output of the Jefferson coins occurred in three different mints, namely Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. The mints produced about 30,000,000 specimens in 1938 .
In 1954, San Francisco mint stopped its production until 1968, when production resumed towards proof coins .
Since 1970, all Jefferson Nickel coins production has been at Philadelphia and Denver, with Philadelphia producing the largest share .
Reason for minting
The US mint introduced the Jefferson coin out of necessity, inspired by two independent reasons .
first, the chief idea behind the coin ’ randomness output was to honor America ’ randomness founding don and third president of the united states, Thomas Jefferson .
second, the US mint was not satisfied by the blueprint of the mint ’ south harbinger, Buffalo Nickel. For a long time, the Buffalo Nickel proved hard to coin because of the dominant allele Nickel subject. Unlike Copper and Silver, Nickel was harder, hence required a higher-pressure tied to strike .
Despite several adjustments to its dies, getting a complete strike was calm hard. so, the mint decided to replace it arsenic soon as potential .
Features of Jefferson Nickel coin
The Jefferson coin is an iconic currency, featuring numerous features aside from other mint series .
Below are some of the noticeable features on both obverse and reverse sides :
Portrait
The portrait is a profile broke of the recently president Thomas Jefferson .
Obverse (Head) Features
The original blueprint features the double of Jefferson facing left. In front man of the president ’ mho portrait is an inscription “ IN GOD WE TRUST ” written in block letters along the left rim .
Another description, “ LIBERTY, ” appears in freeze letters along the right border behind the portrait. The year of mintage besides appears on the obverse boldness after the dedication “ LIBERTY. ”
Reverse (Tail) Features
The rearward of the original plan features a front aggrandizement of the president ’ s celebrated home at the coin ’ south center. Below the house is an dedication “ MONTICELLO ” in block letters and straight-line text .
The coin ’ s denominational value is slenderly below the home written as “ FIVE CENTS ” in a wind format .
The motto “ E PLURIBUS UNUM ” appears along the upper berth rim and another dedication “ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ” along with the mint ’ s lower shave .
New Design
In 2006, the US mint introduced a modern design on the mint ’ randomness obverse side. Designed by Jamie Franki, the fresh blueprint depicts President Jefferson facing ahead. In addition, the word “ Liberty ” appears at the lower right corner in calligraphy, and the date of coinage is slightly below .
Unlike the beginning design, the new Jefferson mint features an inscription “ IN GOD WE TRUST ” along the right margin rather of the left field .
Mintmark
You’d be surprised to find that not all Jefferson Nickel coins bear a mintmark. All coins struck from 1938-1964 had a mintmark on the reverse side. The mintmark appeared on the lower, right-hand side of the president’s You ’ d be surprised to find that not all Jefferson Nickel coins bear a mintmark. All coins struck from 1938-1964 had a mintmark on the turn back side. The mintmark appeared on the lower, right-hand side of the president of the united states ’ s Monticello fabulously, all Jefferson coins struck between 1965 and 1967 had no mintmark from all the mints. additionally, no Jefferson coins produced by the Philadelphia mint after 1942 have a mintmark .
In 1968, the mints reintroduced the mintmarks on the obverse front of the mint. This time, the mintmarks appeared at the right-hand corner, below the president ’ s portrayal .
presently, mintmarks still appear on the obverse side, below the go steady of mintage .
common mintmarks include “ P ” ( Philadelphia, 1942 ), “ S ” ( San Francisco ), and “ D ” ( Denver ) .
Slogans Written
Like early coins previously produced by the US Mint, the Jefferson Nickel has respective slogans on both faces.
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They include ;
- E PLURIBUS UNUM
- LIBERTY
- IN GOD, WE TRUST
Metal Used
The Jefferson Nickel coin is a robust piece of metal dwell of 75 % copper and 25 % nickel. however, wartime Jefferson nickels produced between 1942 and 1945 consist of 56 % copper, 35 % flatware, and 9 % manganese .
Weight and Dimensions
The Jefferson nickel weighs 5 grams and has a diameter of 21.21 mm
Value of the Jefferson Nickel
The Jefferson coin has value as both a collectible and a numismatic coin .
Denominational Value of the Coin
The mint is worth 5 cents ( $ 0.05 ) at confront value. The denominational rate appears on the invert of the coin .
Melt Value
The new series for the Jefferson coins designed in 2006 contains 75 % bull and 25 % nickel. At current rates, the bull in the mint has a fade value of $ 0.0339, while Nickel has a melt prize of $ 0.0228 .
therefore, the currency has a total melt value of $ 0.05677434. The older series, however, have a melt value of $ 1.2774 .
How Much Is the Jefferson Nickel Coin at the Pawnshop?
A Jefferson Nickel has a higher numismatic measure than the fade value, even at gloomy grades. The coin is worth $ 1- $ 2 in good condition at a pawnbroker’s shop and up to $ 5 in uncirculated circumstance. A complete step MS-67 Jefferson Nickel coin can fetch deoxyadenosine monophosphate much as $ 1,057 .
The Standard Value of the Jefferson Nickel coin
Some old serial Jefferson five cents have premium value, depending on their condition. A estimable combination of the state, mintmark, and date curio can fetch 25 cents or more .
Comparison Table Showing the Value of Jefferson Nickel coin
| Condition | ||||
| Date | Good ($) | Fine ($) | Extremely Fine ($) | Mint State ($) |
| 1938 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.25 | 5.33 |
| 1938 D | 0.38 | 0.71 | 1.25 | 4.70 |
| 1938 S | 0.45 | 0.95 | 1.45 | 5.28 |
| 1939 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.25 | 2.23 |
| 1939 D | 1.31 | 3.28 | 6.17 | 39.0 |
| 1939 S | 0.31 | 0.83 | 3.25 | 24 |
| 1940 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 2.24 |
| 1940 D | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 2.28 |
| 1940 S | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 4.35 |
| 1941 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 2.43 |
| 1941 D | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 5.25 |
| 1941 S | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 6.00 |
| 1942 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 5.00 |
| 1942 D | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.75 | 17.00 |
| 1942 P | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 7.67 |
| 1942 S | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 6.33 |
| 1943 P | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 3.42 |
| 1943 D | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 3.17 |
| 1943 S | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 3.92 |
| 1944 P | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 8.00 |
| 1944 D | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 9.17 |
| 1944 S | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 7.50 |
| 1945 S | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 4.74 |
| 1945 P | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 3.67 |
| 1945 S | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 3.10 |
Source
Factors that Influence the Value of Jefferson Nickel coin
Collectors look at a Jefferson Nickel ’ s condition and then assign a sensible grade. The television below shows the process of grading a Jefferson Nickel .
And, here are the main factors that may determine the measure of your Jefferson five-cent :
Year of Mintage
The year for mintage plays a critical function in the coin ’ s measure as it determines the total of coins in circulation for that year. Low mintage means a gloomy act of coins in circulation, therefore agio value for a specific Jefferson nickel coin .
For example, the early years between 1938 and 1964 characterized a low mintage of only 230,000,000 coins .
Mintmark
The mintmark shows the placement of the mintage ampere well as the value of the coin. In 1938, San Francisco had the lowest mintage ; hence, coins bearing the mark “ S ” have a higher value than their counterparts do in the lapp year .
In 1960, Denver produced the highest number compared to San Francisco and Philadelphia. As a leave, coins bearing the mintmark “ D ” have the lowest value for 1960 .
Grade/Condition
Depending on grade, a Jefferson nickel coin in its continue, master express is more valuable to a mint collector than a raddled state .
Jefferson coins have five main rate criteria, namely ;
Mint State
In mint state, there ’ s no wear on both the obverse and reversion faces of the coin. Jefferson ’ randomness prototype ’ mho cheek, eyebrows, and haircloth waves on Jefferson ’ s head retain their texture and original shininess .
In addition, the column on Monticello appear rounded ; the triangles on the rooflines are not compressed, while the windows are distinct .
Extremely Fine
There ’ mho little wear on portions of the hair waves in this condition with merely small directly areas. There ’ mho besides slight break on the president ’ south eyebrows and cheeks. On the reversion face, the trilateral arch is faint but visible .
Fine Grade
In all right grade, a Jefferson nickel coin has heavy wear on its central regions, forming a huge two-dimensional zone. only a few traces of hair waves remain on the back and near the collar of the president ’ s portrait. The cheek and eyebrows are balanced, the shoulder is flat, and no line separates the line collar from the coat .
Good
The lowest level of grade is characterized by visible and extreme wear on both sides. The hairlines connect to the brow, eyes, brows, and cheeks are flat, and the rims merge with the letters along the edge. On the overrule side, the dome is flat, and the mint ’ s face value appears faint compared to other writings .
Errors
erroneousness coins are among the most valued and rarest Jefferson nickel coins .
The most common error coins include :
- Double die coins such as 1939 Doubled Monticello and the 1945-P Double die reverse coin
- Repunched mint mark coins containing double images such as 1942-D over horizontal D
Full Steps
A arrant footprint Jefferson mint has undamaged steps on the president ’ south Monticello. A complete pace mint has a value of 10 or 20 times more than the criterion value .
FAQ
1. How Do I Tell If My Jefferson Coin Has Full Steps?
A Jefferson nickel has six steps that form a broad run on the Monticello. To determine if they are complete, count the number of steps beginning from the capture. Any damage to the steps disqualifies the coin from having complete steps .
2. How Do I Know If My Jefferson Nickel is Worth Some Cash?
The more valuable Jefferson coins worth money are the wartime series struck between 1942 and 1945. They have a mintmark on the change by reversal side, near the president ’ s Monticello. If you notice a mintmark P, S, or D above the Monticello ’ s attic, it ’ s a flatware coin worth more than its face value .
3. When Was the Jefferson Coin Last Punched by the Hand?
The final time the Jefferson Nickel coin had a hand-punched mintmark was in 1989. only about 20,000 hand-punched specimens exist.
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Winding Up: Is the Jefferson Nickel Value Worth it?
The Jefferson mint is a passage currentness that brought relief from the difficult mint of the Buffalo serial. With an expect value of 25 cents and a melt value higher than its face value, the coin is undoubtedly a full collectible worth some cash .
however, the key to a higher measure is the coin ’ s mark, curio, whole steps, and mistruck errors .
If you have any questions regarding your Jefferson Nickel value, do not hesitate to contact us .
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