1945 Jefferson Nickel

The 1945 Jefferson Nickel had a total mintage of over 119 million coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint. This was on par with the 119 million struck at Philadelphia the previous year. The 1945 Jefferson Nickel is a relatively common coin in circulated grades up to about MS60. Around MS63 to MS65, it is a little harder to locate, and then becomes scarcer in Mint State 66 and beyond. Careful searching will be required to find this coin in higher grades, and will be well worth the effort to find with attractive surfaces and a sharp strike.

History of the 1945 Thomas Jefferson Nickel

The 1945 Thomas Jefferson Nickel is the last year of issue of the wartime “silver” nickels that didn’t actually contain nickel. The military needed the nickel for ammunition to support the war effort during World War II, so the coins were composed of copper, silver, and manganese instead. War nickels aren’t believed to be in circulation anymore due to the higher value of silver, so many have been scooped up by collectors. This coin is unique and features the ‘P’ mint mark. The P is enlarged and can be found over the dome of Jefferson’s Monticello home on the reverse of the coin. Felix Schlag designed the obverse to show a left-facing profile of Thomas Jefferson’s head.