2008-D Modern Jefferson Nickel

About the Modern Jefferson Nickel

Today, the Jefferson Nickel has been a part of United States coinage since 1938 when it first debuted as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s National Coinage Act. This popular series is named after Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. As one of the country’s most beloved figures, it is only fitting that the latest iteration of modern Jefferson Nickels retain a symbol of Jefferson’s legacy.

The modern-day Jefferson Nickel features the profiles of both Thomas Jefferson and the iconic Monticello, his beloved Virginia home. The obverse of the coin contains a left-facing profile portrait of Jefferson and was designed by Felix Schlag, an American sculptor. The reverse displays the red-domed building known as Monticello, and was designed by John R. Sinnock.

The modern Jefferson Nickel is minted from a composition of 75% copper and 25% nickel. It measures 21.2 millimeters in diameter and weighs 5 grams. Its edge is flat and further contains the inscription of “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” which is Latin for “Out of many, one.”

The first Jefferson Nickels were struck in 1938, but since then there have been a few changes to the series. Between 1977 and 1981, the United States Mint was owned by the Department of the Treasury and issued special mint-marked editions on the reverse side of the nickel. These commemorative Nickels featured the bison, bicentennial Liberty Bell, Olympic Torch, and American Flag, respectively.

Today, collectors value modern Jefferson Nickels immensely, and these coins are still in circulation. They are especially popular because of their historical context, their relatively low cost, and the variety of designs that have been produced. When purchasing Jefferson Nickels, collectors may want to focus on the most valuable dates, such as the 1939-D and the 1943-S. Additionally, any of the special mint-marked editions from the 1977-1981 period are worth quite a bit more than the standard Nickels.

Overall, the modern Jefferson Nickel is a proud part of United States coinage and remains widely popular among collectors of all levels. With its beautiful design and historical significance, the Jefferson Nickel is an attractive coin that is still found in circulation today.

The 2008-D Modern Jefferson Nickel coin, has a total mintage of 345,600,000, struck at the Denver, Colorado mint, and engraved by Donna Weaver. Made of copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel), weighing 5 grams, with a diameter of 21.21 mm, and a thickness of 1.95 mm, and featuring a plain edge.

The obverse is the portrait of thomas jefferson, the 3rd president of the united states from 1801 to 1809, according to the first rembrandt peale life study of jefferson done in 1800, facing the viewer accompanied with the word "liberty" presented in jefferson's handwriting, surrounded with the motto: "in god we trust". It reads “IN GOD WE TRUST JNF Liberty 2016 D DW”. The reverse is a representation of monticello, president thomas jefferson's virginia home, accompanied with the legend "monticello" and surrounded with the face value in full, the motto "e pluribus unum" and the lettering "united states of america". It reads “E PLURIBUS UNUM FS MONTICELLO FIVE CENTS UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”.