1939-S Jefferson Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 6,630,000 made
- Mintage
- 6,630,000
- Metal
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1939-S Jefferson Nickel worth?
Collectors pay a real premium for this date, worn or not, because far fewer were made than usual. Uncirculated pieces go much higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full steps on Monticello (5FS or 6FS)
- A known variety for the date: 1939 Doubled Monticello Nickel
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1939-S Jefferson Nickel rare?
- Somewhat. 6,630,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1939-S Jefferson Nickel silver?
- No. It's 75% copper, 25% nickel. The only silver nickels are the 1942 to 1945 wartime coins with a large mint mark above Monticello.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1939 Jefferson Nickel?
- On the reverse, to the right of Monticello. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1939 are scarcer?
- The 1938-S at 4,105,000. So the 1939-S is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1939-S Jefferson Nickel coins were made?
- 6,630,000.
What to check on your 1939-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1939-D (3.5 million made).
- Look for the 1939 Doubled Monticello Nickel (it's on Philadelphia coins, not this one).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1939 Jefferson Nickel Proof (12,535 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. The steps of Monticello are the key: coins with 5 or 6 full steps (5FS / 6FS) sell for large premiums. On the obverse, check Jefferson's cheekbone and hair.
The story of the 1939-S
Output at San Francisco climbed to 6,630,000 in 1939, from 4.1 million the year before. The next year it made 40 million (1940-S).
The other mints made far more that year: 1939 alone came to 121 million, roughly 18 for every 1939-S. If you're checking a pile of 1939 coins, the S is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1951-S (7,776,000) and the 1955 (7,888,000).
Only the 1938-S has a lower mintage among San Francisco's 19 Jefferson Nickels. Within the 1930s it's 4th smallest of 6, between the 1938-D (5.4 million) and the 1938 (19 million).
Felix Schlag's new nickel (1938 to 1941)
In 1938 Felix Schlag won the design competition for a new nickel. His portrait of Thomas Jefferson with Monticello on the reverse was released in November. The Mint modified his original design, changing Monticello from an angled view to a straight front view. The 1938-D and 1938-S were saved in rolls by collectors.
The 1939 has a doubled MONTICELLO reverse variety. The 1939-D is a semi-key with 3.5 million made. The reverse hub was sharpened around 1940. Some 1939 and 1940 coins with the older, softer steps are collected as the Reverse of 1938. Collectors grade these nickels by the number of steps on Monticello. Fully struck steps are scarce for many dates. Output climbed to more than 200 million in 1941.
How to recognize it
Felix Schlag's portrait shows Thomas Jefferson facing left with IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY and the date. The reverse shows the front of Monticello, Jefferson's home, with MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS below. The mint mark was to the right of the building until 1964 (above the dome on wartime silver nickels) and moved to the obverse, near the date, in 1968. Schlag's initials FS were added below the bust in 1966.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Jefferson Nickel (1938–2003) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1939 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 6,630,000 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Felix Schlag |
Other 1939 Jefferson Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 Jefferson Nickel | 120,615,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1939 Jefferson Nickel Proof | 12,535 | Proof | – |
| 1939-D Jefferson Nickel | 3,514,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1939-S Jefferson Nickel | 6,630,000 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: United States nickel mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.