1942 Jefferson Nickel Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 29,600 made
- Mintage
- 29,600
- 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 1942 Jefferson Nickel Proof worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- 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 1942 Jefferson Nickel Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 29,600 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1942 Jefferson Nickel Proof 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 1942 Jefferson Nickel?
- Large mint mark above the dome of Monticello on the reverse, including a "P" for Philadelphia, the first ever used. A large mint mark means a 35% silver war nickel. No mint mark means Philadelphia.
- How many 1942 Jefferson Nickel proofs were made?
- 29,600.
What to check on your 1942
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Look above Monticello. Wartime nickels struck in the silver alloy carry a large P or S mint mark over the dome; 1942 nickels without it are the regular copper-nickel alloy.
- 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.
Proofs from 1942 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1942
Wartime silver nickels (1942 to 1945)
Nickel was needed for the war, so in late 1942 the Mint switched to an alloy of 56 percent copper, 35 percent silver and 9 percent manganese. To show the change, a large mint mark was placed above Monticello. For the first time Philadelphia used a P. Early 1942 nickels in the old alloy have the mint mark to the right of the building.
The 1943/2-P overdate and the 1943-P doubled eye variety are popular. Many silver nickels were pulled from circulation and melted in later decades when silver rose, but they remain easy to find. Counterfeits dated 1944 without a mint mark were made by Francis Henning, so any 1944 nickel without a P, D or S above the dome is fake. Survivors often show dark or uneven toning from the manganese. Fully struck steps are scarce on several dates.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1942
Nickel was needed for the war, so from October 1942 the five-cent coin was struck in an alloy of copper, silver and manganese. These war nickels carry a large mint mark above Monticello, the first use of a "P" mint mark.
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 | 1942 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 29,600 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Felix Schlag |
Other 1942 Jefferson Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 Jefferson Nickel | 49,789,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1942-P Jefferson Nickel | 57,873,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0563 oz |
| 1942 Jefferson Nickel Proof | 29,600 | Proof | – |
| 1942-P Jefferson Nickel Proof | 27,600 | Proof | 0.0563 oz |
| 1942-D Jefferson Nickel | 13,938,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1942-S Jefferson Nickel | 32,900,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0563 oz |
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.