One of the most well-known American Presidents was Thomas Jefferson. His coins have been used since 1938, when they were first made. The question is, which Jefferson nickels are the most valued.
Let’s find out as we learn more about the 5c coin, its past, and the president who is on it. Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and West Point are where this nickel was made.
1. 1938-D Jefferson Nickel Full Step Regular Strike
Thomas Jefferson wrote and thought deeply, and he is credited as the main author of the United States Declaration of Independence. His work on it as part of the Committee of Five was praised by all who saw it as the most important text ever written.
- Year: 1938
- Mint Mark: Denver
- Grade: MS 68+ FS
- Date of Sale: 17th July 2022
- Price: $33,600
Jefferson also had a lot of experience as an engineer, a lawyer, and a diplomat. His first job was as George Washington’s secretary of state, and his second job was as John Adams’ vice president. Before becoming president, he was one of the Founding Fathers.
2. 1942 D/D Horizontal Full Step Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
In 1796, Jefferson became Vice President after getting in second place in the election for president. Back then, the person who got the most votes won the place, and the person who came in second got the vice seat. For the third time, he ran against and beat his boss after one term.
- Year: 1941
- Mint Mark: Denver or Horizontal Denver
- Grade: MS 64 FS
- Date of Sale: 5th January 2006
- Price: $32,200
He ran for a third term but chose not to, just like Washington did. He had already served two terms. He had a fight with John Adams during this mess, but they made up and stayed friends until they were seniors. They both died at the same time, but different hours later.
3. 1940 Reverse of 1938 Jefferson Nickel Proof
As a politician, Jefferson also served as Governor of Virginia (1779–1781) and as US Minister to France (1785–1789). He was both elected and nominated, which shows that he is well-liked by both voters and his coworkers in state government.
- Year: 1940 Obverse with 1938 Reverse
- Mint Mark: None (Philadelphia)
- Grade: PR 68
- Date of Sale: 5th January 2011
- Price: $28,750
As a leader, he cared a lot about the rights of people and the rights of the state, especially the rights to freedom of religion, speech, and thought. He also fought for US trade against pirates and harsh rules from the British, who used to rule over us as colonies. He died on July 4, 1826, which was our 50th birthday as a country.
4. 1953-S Jefferson Nickel Full Step Regular Strike
Though Jefferson did a lot of good, he erred from time to time. He had slaves, just like most of the other Founding Fathers. He also came up with the idea of Indian Tribal Removal. Native Americans were forced to leave the land where they had grown up and live on tribes, where they still do.
- Year: 1953
- Mint Mark: San Francisco
- Grade: MS 65 FS
- Date of Sale: 14th January 2019
- Price: $24,000
He did support the Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves (1807), but he is also thought to have had at least six children with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. Still, most people like him, and he’s always been named one of America’s Top Ten Presidents.
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5. 1939 Doubled Monticello Jefferson Nickel Full Step Regular Strike
Jefferson was president from 1801 to 1809, and in 1938, he was put on the nickel. The Buffalo Nickel, which had just reached the end of its 25-year term and wasn’t very popular at the mill, was replaced by his 5c coin. People liked the Jefferson more than the Buffalo Nickel.
- Year: 1939
- Mint Mark: None (Philadelphia)
- Grade: MS 67 FS
- Date of Sale: 26th September 2019
- Price: $23,500
One side of the coin (the heads side) has had three different patterns so far. It only changed on the back (tails side) during special issues in 2004 and 2005 to honor the Lewis and Clark Westward Journey. Each of those four backwards versions was used for six months.
6. 1939 Reverse of 1940 Jefferson Nickel Full Step Regular Strike
The Jefferson Nickel was mostly made up of copper (75% of it) and nickel (25% of it). It shines like silver to look like real half dimes, which are made of silver and are sometimes written as half dismes with a quiet middle “s.” But the mix of metals changed from 1942 to 1945 because of the war.
- Year: 1939 Obverse with 1940 Reverse
- Mint Mark: None (Philadelphia)
- Grade: MS 68 FS
- Date of Sale: 27th February 2014
- Price: $23,500
During these years, most of the country’s nickel was used to pay for the war. Nickel was an important part of guns and other military gear. Coins from the Jefferson Wartime were made of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese. They stayed the same size.
7. 1964-D/D Repunched Mint Mark (RPM) Jefferson Nickel
It has always been 5g and 21.21mm (0.84″) in diameter for Jefferson Nickels. It’s a plain edge with no reeds or writing on it. Felix Oscar Schlag’s design led the way. He won a design contest in 1938. His drawing on the back of the coin was changed, though.
- Year: 1964
- Mint Mark: Denver over Denver
- Grade: MS 66
- Date of Sale: 17th July 2022
- Price: $19,800
8. 1953 Jefferson Nickel Proof Deep Cameo
The prize, $1,000, was pretty good. But a lot of artists didn’t send in their work until the very last minute. The deadline was April 15, and 390 sketches had been sent to the mint by April 20. After looking over all the entries for four days, the judges chose Felix Schlag as the winner.
- Year: 1953
- Mint Mark: None (Philadelphia)
- Grade: PR 68 DCAM
- Date of Sale: 24th April 2013
- Price: $15,275
His past was interesting. Born in Germany, he had been living in the US for almost ten years when he won the award. He became known as a great artist because of it, but the lack of publicity may have caused some of the “mistakes” he made in his layout.
