1942 US Coins: Values & Mintages

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 many coins were made in 1942

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 1,630,501,000 coins dated 1942 across 16 issues. That is close to the 1941 total of 1,827,399,200. In 1943 the figure rose to 2,023,898,270.

By mint: Philadelphia 1,120,782,000 (69%, down from 1,368,597,000), Denver 309,837,000 (19%, up from 255,729,200) and San Francisco 199,882,000 (12%, down from 203,073,000).

Those coins held about 78,919,746 troy ounces of pure silver.

1942 coins by denomination

Cents: 950,084,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Lincoln Wheat Cent, down 14% on 1941. The scarcest is the 1942-S (85,590,000) and the most plentiful the 1942 (657,796,000).

Nickels: 154,500,000 struck in 4 circulation issues of the Jefferson Nickel, down 49% on 1941. The scarcest is the 1942-D (13,938,000) and the most plentiful the 1942-P (57,873,000).

Dimes: 315,450,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Mercury Dime, up 20% on 1941. The scarcest is the 1942-S (49,300,000) and the most plentiful the 1942 (205,410,000).

Quarters: 138,967,200 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Washington Quarter, up 24% on 1941. The scarcest is the 1942-D (17,487,200) and the most plentiful the 1942 (102,096,000).

Half Dollars: 71,499,800 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, up 64% on 1941. The scarcest is the 1942-D (10,973,800) and the most plentiful the 1942 (47,818,000).

Every 1942 circulation issue at a glance

• 1942-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar: 10,973,800 struck, more than 81% of the series' 65 issues, similar to 1941.
• 1942-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar: 12,708,000 struck, more than 91% of the series' 65 issues, up from 8,098,000 in 1941.
• 1942-D Jefferson Nickel: 13,938,000 struck, 12th lowest of 146 in the series, down from 53,432,000 in 1941.
• 1942-D Washington Quarter: 17,487,200 struck, 39th lowest of 144 in the series, similar to 1941.
• 1942-S Washington Quarter: 19,384,000 struck, 42nd lowest of 144 in the series, similar to 1941.
• 1942-S Jefferson Nickel: 32,900,000 struck, 26th lowest of 146 in the series, down from 43,445,000 in 1941.
• 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar: 47,818,000 struck, more than 98% of the series' 65 issues, up from 24,192,000 in 1941.
• 1942-S Mercury Dime: 49,300,000 struck, more than 76% of the series' 77 issues, similar to 1941.
• 1942 Jefferson Nickel: 49,789,000 struck, 39th lowest of 146 in the series, down from 203,265,000 in 1941.
• 1942-P Jefferson Nickel: 57,873,000 struck, 42nd lowest of 146 in the series, down from 203,265,000 in 1941.
• 1942-D Mercury Dime: 60,740,000 struck, more than 87% of the series' 77 issues, up from 45,634,000 in 1941.
• 1942-S Lincoln Wheat Cent: 85,590,000 struck, more than 51% of the series' 140 issues, similar to 1941.

The 4 more plentiful issues are listed in the tables below.

Lincoln Wheat Cent: The Depression low and the late 1930s boom

The Depression cut cent demand sharply. Production fell to 19 million in Philadelphia in 1931. San Francisco struck just 866,000, creating the 1931-S, a key date that many people saved at the time, so it is more available in uncirculated grades than its mintage suggests. Output stayed low in 1932 and 1933, with no San Francisco cents in either year. Recovery began in 1934, when Philadelphia struck 219 million.

Proof cents returned in 1936, first with a satin finish and later with a brilliant finish. The 1936 also has a doubled die obverse. Output climbed through the late 1930s and topped 887 million in Philadelphia in 1941 as the defense buildup increased spending. Because collecting albums became popular in this decade, many rolls were saved, so uncirculated red coins from 1934 onward are much easier to find than earlier dates.

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Jefferson Nickel: Wartime silver nickels

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.

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Washington Quarter: Wartime quarters in record numbers

World War II brought full employment and heavy coin demand. Philadelphia's output jumped from 35.7 million in 1940 to 79 million in 1941 and passed 100 million in 1942 and 1944, while Denver and San Francisco struck between about 12 and 21.7 million each year. Unlike the nickel, the quarter kept its 90 percent silver composition throughout the war.

Doubled die obverses are known for the 1942-D and 1943-S. A 1943 Philadelphia doubled die also exists. Proof quarters ended after 1942 and did not return until 1950. Most wartime quarters circulated hard and now turn up in silver lots with moderate wear. Uncirculated rolls were saved in quantity, so even the branch mint dates of these years are available in mint state.

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Walking Liberty Half Dollar: The short set of wartime halves

Wartime demand pushed Philadelphia mintages to 47.8 million in 1942 and 53.2 million in 1943. Denver and San Francisco each struck around 8 to 13 million a year during the war. Because coins from 1941 to 1947 are common in high grades, many collectors assemble them as a short set rather than chasing the full series.

Some 1941 proofs lack Weinman's AW monogram because the die was polished too heavily. The 1946 doubled die reverse shows strong doubling in E PLURIBUS UNUM and in the eagle's feathers. Proofs ended after 1942. Production fell to about 4 million each at Philadelphia and Denver in 1947, the last year before the Franklin half. San Francisco made no halves that year. Silver remained at 90 percent throughout.

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Mercury Dime: Wartime records, the overdates and the last year

World War II pushed dime production to record levels. Philadelphia struck 205,410,000 in 1942 and 231,410,000 in 1944, the highest mintage of the series. The three mints together made 1,223,928,000 Mercury dimes dated 1942 to 1945. Even the smallest issue of the era, the 1945-D, came to 40,245,000. Unlike the nickel, the dime kept its 90% silver alloy throughout the war.

The famous 1942/1 overdates belong here. One working die at Philadelphia and one at Denver received an impression from a 1941 hub and then another from a 1942 hub, leaving traces of a 1 under the final 2. The Philadelphia coin was found in circulation and reported in 1943. It is the bolder of the two. The Denver version is fainter and was not reported in print until 1960. Both are included in their regular mintages and carry a significant premium. Proof dimes ended with 22,329 struck in 1942 and proof coinage stopped for the rest of the war.

After President Franklin Roosevelt died in April 1945, the Treasury chose the dime for his portrait and the Mercury design ended with the 1945 coins. Two things to check on the late dates: the 1945 Philadelphia dime is very common but rarely found with fully split bands. The 1945-S comes with a normal S or a much smaller Micro S, made with a punch first cut for coins struck for the Philippines.

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