Jefferson Nickel
2,687+ LuckyCoin collectors track this series
Spanning 1938 to 2003, the Jefferson Nickel catalog contains 215 year-and-mintmark variants. Across the series, the key date is the 1939 Jefferson Nickel at just 12,535 struck and the highest-value variant is the 1942-D Jefferson Nickel at up to $9,000 in top grade.
Jefferson Nickel · All Strikes Mintage by Year
Peak 2.8BCombined mintage per year across every strike type (circulated, proof, and specimen) and all mintmarks.
About the Jefferson Nickel
The Jefferson Nickel is a five-cent coin that is produced by the U.S. Mint. It was first introduced in 1938 as part of the United States’ 75th anniversary commemoration of Thomas Jefferson’s birth. The nickel has gone through several redesigns over the years, but still remains a popular coin in American currency.
The Jefferson Nickel is quite distinct in design. The obverse features a portrait of President Thomas Jefferson along with the inscriptions “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, and the year of mintage. The reverse of the coin features Jefferson’s home at Monticello and the inscriptions “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, and the denomination, “Five Cents”.
The original design was created by Felix Schlag and won him a $1,000 prize. Schlag spent three months creating the design and worked primarily from descriptions of Jefferson’s appearance. The design was then approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Jefferson Nickel was officially issued on November 1, 1938.
In 1942, the composition of the nickel changed from 75-25 copper-nickel to 56-44 copper-silver, due to the shortage of copper caused by World War II. This “war nickel” is easily distinguished from the earlier issues, as the large mintmark, which is located above the dome of Monticello, was moved to just above the date.
Over the years, the obverse design has gone through various modifications. In 2004, the obverse was redesigned and honored the Westward Journey Bicentennial series. This design features Thomas Jefferson’s portrait on the obverse, but with a new reversed view of Monticello in the background.
The Jefferson Nickel remains one of the most collectible coins in the U.S. In 2019, a rare 1943 Jefferson Nickel was sold at auction for a record-breaking $3 million. This piece is one of a few Jefferson Nickels that were incorrectly struck in bronze and is one of the most valuable coins in the world.
Today, the Jefferson Nickel continues to be produced by the U.S. Mint, with the Westward Journey Bicentennial design remaining the recent standard.
The Jefferson Nickel is a great reminder of American history and remains a popular choice for coin collectors.
Most-collected Jefferson Nickel coins on LuckyCoin
Looking for coins from a specific year across every denomination? Browse US coin values by year →
Which Jefferson Nickel coins do collectors actually own? See the 2026 rarity & ownership report →
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Jefferson Nickel minted?
- The Jefferson Nickel was minted by United States from 1938 to 2003.
- How many Jefferson Nickel coins were minted?
- Across every year and mintmark, approximately 45,800,234,791 Jefferson Nickel coins were struck.
- What mintmarks exist for the Jefferson Nickel?
- Jefferson Nickel coins were struck with the following mintmarks: D, P, S. Some years were also produced without a mintmark.
- What is the Jefferson Nickel made of?
- The Jefferson Nickel is made of copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel), weighs 5 grams, and measures 21.2 mm in diameter.
- How much is a Jefferson Nickel worth?
- Value depends on year, mintmark, and condition. Common dates in average circulated condition trade for near face value, while the rarest varieties in top grade can fetch up to $9,000. See individual year pages for grade-by-grade estimates.