What is special about a 1942 nickel?
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The 1942 nickel is unique in U.S. coinage history because it marks a transition year with two different compositions: a standard copper-nickel version and a "war nickel" that contains 35% silver. This change was implemented to conserve nickel, a strategic metal needed for the World War II effort.
What makes a 1942 nickel valuable?
Pricing the 1942 Jefferson Nickel
Coins are superior condition will most often retain more value than similar coins in lesser overall condition. In addition, “War nickels” contained a small amount of silver, thus adding to their overall value.
What is the error on the 1942 D nickel?
The 1942-D over Horizontal D Jefferson Nickel is a result of a Mint employee punching the mint mark in the wrong position on the working die. Up until late in 1989, the Mint employee would hand punch the mint mark on to the working die, and this would often result with the mint mark being struck the wrong way.
How do you tell if a 1942 nickel is silver or not?
Look for a P, D, or S mint mark on the back of the coin, representing Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco, respectively. This mark placement is unique to silver nickels, especially the 1942 variety, making identification straightforward for collectors.
What is the difference between a 1942 P nickel Type 1 and Type 2?
The easiest way to identify 1942 nickel types: No mint mark = Type 1 regular nickel. Large mint mark above Monticello = Type 2 silver war nickel. Denver only made Type 1, San Francisco only made Type 2, while Philadelphia produced both types.
1942 NICKELS WORTH MONEY - JEFFERSON NICKEL COIN VALUES
How much is a 1942 P nickel worth today?
1942 P SILVER Jefferson Nickel Value
According to the NGC Price Guide, as of December 2025, a Jefferson Nickel from 1942 P in circulated condition is worth between $1.25 and $4. However, on the open market 1942 P SILVER Nickels in pristine, uncirculated condition sell for as much as $2250.
What is the rarest type of nickel?
1913 Liberty Head V - $4.5 million
The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, also known as the “Liberty Head V” or the “1913 V Nickel”, is considered one of the most valuable and famous coins in the world of numismatics. It was minted without authorization by the United States Mint.
Are all 1942 nickels 35% silver?
All nickels produced from 1942 to 1945 use the 35% silver composition. Any nickel with these dates contains silver content regardless of condition or mintmark. Silver war nickels uniquely place their mintmark above Monticello on the reverse side.
Where is the mint mark on 1942 nickel?
In 1942, its sesquicentennial year, staff at the Philadelphia Mint placed a large “P” mintmark over Monticello's dome on the reverse of the Jefferson nickel to differentiate coins made with the wartime silver composition from their copper-nickel predecessors.
What year did nickel stop being 90% silver?
Silver Nickel Years
These nickels, known as Silver War Nickels, continued to circulate after the war until the mid-1960s; however, the production of silver nickels ended six months after the war ended in December 1945, making the 1945 Silver Nickel the last of its kind.
What is the value of a 1942 coin?
1942 One Rupee Coin - Color: Metallic Silver
50000.00 INR (Approx.)
What nickel is worth $400?
The 1885 V-Nickel is the coin that is most sought after by dealers as well as collectors. This coin is considered elusive and difficult to obtain. Even with considerable wear and tear, an 1885 V-Nickel may be worth nearly $400.
What year is the $2000000 dime?
1894-S Barber dime. The 1894-S Barber dime is a dime produced in the United States Barber coinage. It is one of the rarest and most highly prized United States coins for collectors, along with the 1804 dollar and the 1913 Liberty Head nickel.
How many 1942 nickels were minted?
The 1942 Jefferson Nickel had a total mintage of almost 50 million coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint. This was a significantly smaller mintage than the previous year at Philadelphia which had over 200 million coins struck.
Is 1942 a war nickel?
The first Wartime Nickels were struck in mid-1942. To make it easier to tell the difference between these and the older coins, the size of the mintmark was increased and placed above the dome of Monticello. Coins produced at the Philadelphia Mint contained a large “P,” making them the first US coins with that mintmark.
What does it mean if a nickel has no mint mark?
American coinage today primarily uses four mint marks: "S" for San Francisco, "D" for Denver, "P" for Philadelphia, and "W" for West Point. Most circulating coins either have a "P," "D," or no mint mark (which signifies Philadelphia as the production facility).
Which nickel is worth a lot of money?
Look for Full Horn Nickels – Coins with full horn details on the buffalo indicate a stronger strike and hold higher value. Focus on Key Dates – Rare dates like 1913-S, 1918/7-D, and 1926-S make excellent long-term investments.
What is a 1942 nickel made of?
Jefferson Nickels were first minted in 1938 and made of 75% copper and 25% nickel. However, in 1942, with World War II raging in Europe and the Pacific, Nickel became a critical war material. So the U.S. government changed the composition of the coin to 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese.
How to tell if a nickel is pure silver?
Inspect the Edge of Your Coins
The best way to determine if your coins are silver is to view the edge of the coin. If the coin has a solid silver stripe, then you can feel confident that it's silver. If you can see a copper stripe, then the coin is clad.
How much is a 1942 to 1945 silver nickel worth today?
One War Nickel can reach a value of anywhere from $1 to upwards of $1,000 for coins in perfect condition. The lowest mintage year of silver war nickels was in 1942, with just 90,773,000 struck. 1943 was the highest mintage year, with 390,519,000 coins struck.
Why is nickel called Devil's copper?
As it was treated as a copper pipe that cannot be smelted at that time, it was nicknamed as Kupfevnicke meaning Devil's Copper. German mine workers came up with the nickname considering it as Nick Alt, a legendary mischievous spirit known to appear in remote mine and haze miners.
Will we ever run out of nickel?
Over time, we use these up and are forced to move on to lower-grade ores. I know there's a lot of copper and nickel in the Earth's crust overall, but eventually, the highly concentrated deposits will run out. Even with recycling, there will likely be some losses that disperse these elements.