Obverse: identify the front

Thomas Jefferson faces left. IN GOD WE TRUST runs along the left rim, and LIBERTY and the year appear at the right. The photographed 1945-P example shows the older profile portrait, unlike the forward-facing portrait on later nickels.

Reverse: identify the back

Monticello occupies the center, with FIVE CENTS beneath it and a prominent P above the dome on the pictured Philadelphia coin. That elevated mint mark is the useful composition clue. The building alone also appears on ordinary copper-nickel coins.

History and purpose

The Mint explains that wartime removal of nickel moved the mint mark above Monticello and introduced Philadelphia’s P. The nominal silver-alloy series spans 1942–1945; both ordinary and silver-alloy nickels exist dated 1942.

How to identify this variant

Start on the reverse: find the large P, D or S over the dome, then check the 1942–1945 date and older Jefferson portrait. Record both sides before counting silver nickels. A dark surface is not proof of silver, and the five-cent denomination does not mean the coin uses ordinary nickel metal.

Understanding its metal content

The calculation is 5 g × 0.35 = 1.75 g fine silver; divide by 31.1034768 to convert grams to troy ounces. The rest of the coin is alloy metal. Quantity totals use nominal content; wear, damage or an incorrect identification can change the content of your actual coins.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

The first and last years in this record are 1942 and 1945. The date filter cannot identify which 1942 alloy you have: the large mint mark is essential. Collector varieties and strike details require closer review than these representative photographs provide.

Melt value versus collector value

Separate unusual dates, mint marks and sharply detailed examples before offering a group as metal. A generic silver-content calculation does not identify a variety or grade the steps on Monticello. Keep holders and provenance with their coins.

Authenticity and condition

Compare the date, raised mint mark, lettering, plain edge, nominal 5 g mass and approximately 21.2 mm diameter together. An added mint mark or counterfeit can mimic one clue. Avoid cleaning or destructive testing; request evaluation when the physical and visual evidence disagrees.

Selling this coin

Describe the lot as large-mint-mark wartime Jefferson nickels and list quantities by year. Include a reverse photo showing the mark above Monticello. The appraisal form can receive those identification details.

Sources and calculation methodology

The Mint reference supports the historical design or composition distinction described here. The separate specification record documents gross mass, silver fineness and diameter; numerical source claims are recorded individually. Fixed decimal arithmetic calculates silver content without copying a reference site’s prices. No approved live silver-price feed is configured, so dollar melt values remain unavailable. Photo identities and reuse rights are reviewed separately.

Common questions

References

• U.S. Mint: Nickel history — identity; design Felix Schlag Jefferson and Monticello; wartime composition distinction; mint-mark location (checked 2026-10-10)

Issue-year references

• PCGS: wartime silver nickel issue list

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

Related coins

Mercury Dime — Winged Liberty

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

United States • 90% silver, 10% copper

Issue years: 1916–1931, 1934–1945

Fine silver: 0.072339 troy oz

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