Values
A wartime Jefferson nickel’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, and the grade. Melt is a different conversation. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass. 1942-P stays mintage-only on the parent line because the pamphlet does not split Type 1 cupronickel from wartime silver. Values sit on the NGC silver split.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
PCGS CoinFacts does not name a traditional key date inside this wartime alloy. This is a name list, not a price list. Do not invent one.
There is no key-date bolding on the mintage chart for that reason. 1943/2-P is a named variety. It is not a key on this list, and this pass did not print a G / VF / MS-63 cell for it.
A worn common wartime date is still worn.
Errors
These are named varieties. They are not extra pamphlet rows. The 1974 Mint table does not split them out, and this page will not invent a count.
Large mint mark above Monticello. That mark is the alloy diagnostic. It is not an error. Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco all used a large letter over the dome on the silver coins. Philadelphia used a P here for the first time.
1942-P Type 1 versus silver. The pamphlet 1942-P 5-cent count mixes cupronickel Type 1 and wartime silver. Values sit on the NGC silver split. Type 1 has no large P above the building. That mix is not an error.
1943/2-P overdate. NGC and collectors name it. This pass did not print a G / VF / MS-63 cell, so it stays name-only. The 1943-P mintage cell is the whole Philadelphia year.
Full Steps is a designation on Monticello. It is not an error and not a G / VF / MS-63 cell.
Compare the coin in hand to the NGC Coin Explorer Jefferson page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
The wartime coin is the silver alloy with a large mint mark over Monticello. Full Steps is a strike designation, not a variety. The cupronickel Type 1 of early 1942 is the Jefferson page, not this alloy.
- Large mint mark over MonticelloPhiladelphia, Denver, and San Francisco all used a large letter over the dome on the silver coins. Philadelphia used a P here for the first time. The mark is the alloy diagnostic.
- 1943/2-PAn overdate NGC and collectors name. This page does not print a separate count. A regular 1943-P silver nickel is not the overdate.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Wartime silver nickels were struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco from 1942 through 1945. This chart is those silver years, not the whole Jefferson series. 1942-D is cupronickel and is not a row here. Philadelphia coins in this alloy have a large P above Monticello. The counts below are the pamphlet 5-cent cells in this repository for those years.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | P | 107,719,200 Pamphlet 1942-P 5 cents include Type 1 cupronickel + wartime silver (not split). | — | — | — | — |
| 1942 | P Silver | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 14016 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $10 |
| 1942 | S | 32,900,000 | 14017 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $15 |
| 1943 | P | 271,165,000 | 14018 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $15 |
| 1943 | D | 15,294,000 | 14020 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $7 |
| 1943 | S | 104,060,000 | 14021 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $7 |
| 1944 | P | 119,150,000 | 14022 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $10 |
| 1944 | D | 32,309,000 | 14023 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $8.75 |
| 1944 | S | 21,640,000 | 14024 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $9 |
| 1945 | P | 119,408,100 | 14025 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $10 |
| 1945 | D | 37,158,000 | 14026 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $10 |
| 1945 | S | 58,939,000 | 14027 | $1.25 | $1.80 | $7.50 |
Mintage: United States, Bureau of the Mint, Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965 (Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1974). Publisher: FRASER / GPO pamphlet.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-21. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: NGC Coin Explorer. Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID. 1942-P parent row stays a dash. Values sit on the NGC silver split. 1942-D cupronickel is not a row on this chart.
These pamphlet cells are 5-cent manufacture for the silver years this page covers. 1942-P includes Type 1 cupronickel + wartime silver, not split.
No 1942-D row. That Denver year is cupronickel Jefferson, not the wartime alloy.
Full Steps is a designation, not a G / VF / MS-63 cell on this chart. Guide cells retrieved 2026-08-23.
These are Bureau of the Mint manufacture figures from the 1974 GPO pamphlet in this repository, not a Red Book net or melt. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. The pamphlet 5-cent cells are manufacture. 1942-P is Type 1 cupronickel plus wartime silver, not split.
Read the date. Read the large mint mark above the dome. Look at the steps before you argue Full Steps.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
A wartime nickel is still a Jefferson nickel. The story is the silver alloy — copper, silver, and manganese — not 75/25 cupronickel. The large mint mark above Monticello is the diagnostic. That is not a spec change to the diameter. Full Steps is a strike designation. That is not a spec change either.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 21.21 mm (0.835 in) |
| Thickness | 1.95 mm |
| Weight | 5.000 g (77.16 grains) |
| Composition | 56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese |
| Fine silver | 0.05626 troy oz. Melt math uses this figure. It does not appraise a coin. |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Felix Schlag |
Diameter, thickness, and weight are the U.S. Mint circulating five-cent figures (21.21 mm / 1.95 mm / 5.000 g / 77.16 grains). Composition is the wartime silver alloy — 56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese — not 75/25 cupronickel. The Numista wartime type page (N#45, KM# 192a) prints the same 1.95 mm / 5 g figures. Fine silver is the same 0.05626 troy oz the melt calculator uses for a wartime nickel. This is still a Jefferson nickel. The large mint mark above Monticello is the alloy diagnostic, not a new design.
Grading
A wartime Jefferson nickel wears first on Jefferson’s cheek and hair, and on the steps of Monticello. The large mint mark above the dome is the alloy diagnostic, not a grade.
This is still Felix Schlag’s Jefferson design. The story is the 1942–1945 silver alloy. Full Steps is a strike designation — not a G / VF / MS-63 cell. 1942 Type 1 cupronickel has no large P above the dome.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson’s cheek and hair | The cheekbone and the hair above the ear on the portrait. | Those high points flatten while the coat can still look busy. |
| Monticello steps | The steps on the building, and whether they are still separated. | The steps go slick first. Full Steps is a later strike conversation, not this grade. |
| Large mint mark above the dome | The P, D, or S over Monticello. Philadelphia used a P here for the first time. | That large mark is how you tell wartime silver from regular cupronickel. It is not a grade and not an error. |
| Date | The numerals under Jefferson, and whether they are still sharp. | A worn date is a worn nickel. Do not scrape the dome to force a mint mark. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set. Guide values on this page came from the NGC Price Guide.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A nickel disk you can still call Jefferson if you already know the type.
- The cheek is gone. Monticello is a lump.
- The date may be a shadow. The large mint mark may still be findable.
- Full Steps is not a conversation at this wear.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points are already slick.
- Hair and cheek are gone. The steps are not a conversation.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
- Look above the dome for the large mint mark before you name the alloy.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- Jefferson is a head, not a portrait. The cheek is flat.
- Monticello is outlined. The steps have no real lines.
- The large mint mark, if it is a wartime piece, should still be findable.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns in the hair and the building.
- Some hair comes back. The cheek is still tired.
- Monticello starts to show leftover windows. Steps are not split.
- Do not clean the date to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the portrait and Monticello. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- Hair is outlined. The cheek is not crisp.
- The building shows leftover detail. The steps are still worn together.
- The date is clear. The large mint mark should be too.
VF
Very Fine
Monticello is doing real work. Cheek and steps still decide.
- Leftover strands in the hair. The cheek is not slick.
- More of the steps show. Full Steps is still not this grade.
- A 1943-D is still this grade if it is this worn. The overdate is a variety.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the nickel looks sharp. The cheek, the hair, and the steps tell on it.
- Light wear on the cheek, the hair, and the high points of the steps.
- The date is sharp. The large mint mark above the dome should be too.
- The rest of the coin can look better than the grade. Trust the high points.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the cheek and the steps.
- A trace of rub on the cheek and on the high points of the steps.
- The date should be full. Luster may still sit in the protected spots.
- A bright nickel with a slick cheek is still a slick cheek.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the nickel looks.
- No rub on the cheek, the hair, the steps, or the date.
- Full Steps is a strike call. It is not an extra MS-63 number.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on the cheek, the steps, and the date.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- Full Steps remains a designation, not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean cheek, steps, and fields for a wartime Jefferson. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on the cheek or the steps.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about Full Steps copied onto MS-63.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Jefferson nickels exist outside this wartime alloy story. This page does not invent a PR price grid — NGC did not print one in the 2026-08-23 sheet used here. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. Those belong on copper coins such as the Indian Head cent. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A War nickel is a United States five-cent coin struck on Felix Schlag’s Jefferson design in a silver alloy from 1942 through 1945. It is not a separate series from Jefferson. Collectors mean those wartime silver coins. People also call them wartime nickels. Both names point at the same alloy.
People like them because the large mint mark is easy to show someone across a table, the silver content is a real composition change, and the worn ones show up in jars. They are also easy to ruin. A wiped coin looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
Jefferson nickels begin in 1938. This page does not cover that whole run. In 1942 the Mint needs nickel for the war and changes the five-cent alloy to copper, silver, and manganese. The large mint mark moves above Monticello so the silver coins can be sorted later.
1942-P pamphlet 5-cent totals still mix Type 1 cupronickel with the new silver coins. This page will not pretend to split that count. Values sit on the NGC silver line. 1942-D stays cupronickel and stays off this chart. 1942-S is silver.
The alloy lasts through 1945. In 1946 the Mint goes back to cupronickel and the mint mark returns beside Monticello. This page stops at 1945.
This page will not invent a shop list or a melt story to fill the years between.
Design
Obverse: Jefferson facing left, “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “LIBERTY,” and the date. Reverse: Monticello, “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and “FIVE CENTS.” On these wartime coins the mint mark is a large P, D, or S above the dome.
Look at the cheek, the hair, the steps, and that large letter over the building. Those spots go flat first. The letter is how you tell the alloy, not how you grade the coin.
Full Steps means the steps on Monticello are fully split. That is a strike call. It is not a G / VF / MS-63 number.
People Also Ask
What years are War nickels?
Wartime silver Jefferson nickels were struck from 1942 through 1945. This page is that alloy, not the whole Jefferson series. 1942-D is cupronickel and is not a row here.
How much is a War nickel worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, and the grade. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. Melt is a different conversation. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
What is a War nickel made of?
Fifty-six percent copper, 35 percent silver, and 9 percent manganese. It is not the usual 75/25 cupronickel five-cent coin. Diameter, thickness, and weight stay the circulating five-cent figures.
How do I tell a War nickel from a regular Jefferson?
Look above Monticello. Wartime silver coins have a large P, D, or S over the dome. Philadelphia used a P mint mark here for the first time. 1942 Type 1 cupronickel has no large P there.
Is a War nickel a different design from Jefferson?
No. It is still Felix Schlag’s Jefferson nickel. The story is the silver alloy and the large mint mark above the building. Full Steps is a designation, not a different type.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common 1943 in a high grade can cost more than a worn wartime date someone called “silver” like that was the whole conversation. That is normal.
If you inherited a jar, do not scrub the date to “see it better.” Keep them in the holders they arrived in, or in cheap cardboard flips, and take the box to a person who sees Jeffersons every week. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio. This site does not invent shop names to fill a paragraph.
Raw coins are fine. So are slabs. What is not fine is a coin that has been cleaned until the fields look like glass, then offered as “original.” Say what happened if you know. A dealer will see it anyway.
If you collect by type, one honest circulated wartime nickel will teach you the large mint mark and the steps. If you collect the whole Jefferson series, this page is only the silver years. The cupronickel run lives on the Jefferson nickel page.
For the nickel that came before Jefferson, read the Buffalo nickel page. For an earlier 5-cent legend change, read the Liberty Head nickel.
A Final Word
Wartime nickels reward people who slow down. Read the date. Read the large mint mark above the dome. Look at the steps. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want another series on this site, the Buffalo nickel and the Liberty Head nickel are already here.