Jefferson Nickels Original Design 1938-2003

About This Series

Felix Schlag won the 1938 public design competition for the Jefferson nickel, beating 390 other entrants with a portrait of the third president on the obverse and his Monticello estate on the reverse — though the Mint required modifications to Schlag's original angular portrait before production began. During World War II (1942-1945), the copper-nickel composition was temporarily replaced by a 35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese alloy to conserve nickel for the war effort. These "war nickels" carry an oversized mintmark (P, D, or S) above Monticello on the reverse — the first time a P mintmark appeared on any U.S. coin. The 1939-D and 1950-D are the series' key circulation dates: the 1950-D saw only 2,630,030 struck and was heavily hoarded from the start, making it the most famous modern key date nickel. Full Steps (FS) designation, indicating complete horizontal lines on Monticello's steps, creates dramatic premiums for well-struck specimens. Struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel at 21.2mm and 5.0 grams (except wartime issues), over 25 billion Jefferson nickels were produced during the original design's 65-year run. The series is one of the most popular collecting denominations for beginners, yet pursuing Full Steps gems across all dates provides a lifetime's challenge for advanced specialists.

Series Information