War nickels hold a unique place in coin collectors’ hearts, not just for their historical significance but also for their potential value.
In this article, I revealed many such coins that are most valuable and you will like them very much and told how you identify Silver War Nickel coins.
Let’s enjoy the article,
How to Find Valuable War Nickels
Before looking at the most valuable wartime nickels, it is important to know how they can be identified because there is a lot of confusion but I have explained it to you in simple words.
Thomas Jefferson is the most famous 3rd President of America, whose photo is printed on war nickel coins.
These coins are called Jefferson War Nickels because it was made during World War II.
But what are Silver War Nickels & Non-Silver Nickels?
Relax, World War II started in 1939 and ended in 1945. Before 1942, nickel coins were minted with 75% copper and 25% nickel metal. But during World War II, The US was in great need of copper and nickel metal to make weapons for its military. Due to this the Treasury Department and the United States Mint decided in 1942 that the composition of these five-cent nickel coins would be changed, resulting in five-cent nickels minted in 1942–1945 containing 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% magnesium. These are called Silver War Nickel coins.
Note: Those coins that were made between mid-1942 to 1945 are called silver war nickel coins but those coins were made before mid-1942 and after 1945 are not considered silver war nickel coins.
After changing the composition of nickel coins, approximately 435 tonnes of nickel and copper were saved.
10 Most Valuable War Nickel Coins Worth Money
1. 1942-P Type-2 Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
1942 Jeffronson coin was made in two types, one (name type-1) was made before mid-1942 and the other (name type-2) was made after mid-1942. The only coins minted after mid-1942 are counted in the wartime nickel coins category and are named 1942 Type-2 coins. Approximately 57.87 million coins were produced by the Philadelphia Mint, of which only 6 million are known to survive.
- Year: 1942
- Type: 2
- Mint Mark: Philadelphia (P)
- Grade: MS68
- Date of Sale: 1 May 2021
- Price: $5,950
There is a lot of difference in the metal from which these two types of coins were made. The earlier nickel coins that were made contained 75% copper and 25% nickel, but after mid-1942, a major change was made in its composition which is 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% magnesium.
2. 1942-P Type-2 Jefferson Nickel Proof
Proof coins are made for collectors. Similarly to the above coin, this proof coin was also made from a mixture of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% magnesium because of World War Two. If we compare it with the Proof Type-1 Nickel coin, It was mined in small quantities. For example, 29,600 Proof Type-1 and 27,600 Proof Type-1 Nickel coins were made.
- Year: 1942
- Type: 2
- Mint Mark: Philadelphia (P)
- Grade: PR68+
- Date of Sale: 22 August 2021
- Price: $12,600
The War Time Nickel’s coins were designed by Felix Schlag, who won a competition at the time and received a $1,000 winning prize for the design of this nickel coin. Similarly, the 1942-P Proof Type-2 cameo contrast nickel coin has been sold in the auction for approximately $14,100.
The term cameo is used to describe the level of contrast (effect) between the relief and field of a coin in coin grading.
3. 1943-P 3-Over-2 Full Steps Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
The Jefferson’s home shown on the reverse of this 1943 coin has full steps (at least 5) on its stairs. But other coins have only 4 steps. Approximately 27.117 million such coins have been minted by the Philadelphia Mint, of which only 17,000 are believed to survive.
- Year: 1943
- Error: 3 Over 2
- Mint Mark: Philadelphia (P)
- Grade: MS67
- Date of Sale: 26 June 2008
- Price: $16,675
In this coin, the shadow of the number 2 is visible behind the last digit of 1943, which is an error, that’s why this coin has been sold at a high price, and now its price is increasing even more according to PCGS. The 1943-P 3/2 Jefferson Nickel Coin with Four Steps in MS68 condition is sold for only $4,300.
Related: Are American Innovation $1 Coins Worth Collecting? $1,170 Value
4. 1944-S Full Steps Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
As I have told you about the full steps in the above coin, this coin also has full steps and it was sold in the Heritage Auctions for $14,100 in 2015. But now its price in mint state according to PCGS has reached more than $18,000.
- Year: 1944
- Mint Mark: San Francisco (S)
- Grade: MS68
- Date of Sale: 29 Oct. 2015
- Price: $14,100
About 21.64 million such coins were minted. Of which it is believed that only 50,000 coins have survived. The 1944-S FS Jefferson Nickel is a beautiful coin worth adding to your coin collection.
5. 1943-P Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
This coin was struck at the Philadelphia Mint and approximately 271.17 million such coins were made. According to an estimate, only 2.35 lakh coins in MS60 or better condition are in the market.
- Year: 1943
- Mint Mark: Philadelphia (P)
- Grade: MS64
- Date of Sale: 1 Nov. 2013
- Price: $9,400
The 1943 coin is the most common coin among wartime coins because 1943 was the highest mintage year of silver war nickels, with 390,519,000 struck and the lowest mintage year of war nickels was 1942, with just 90,773,000 struck. And if we talk about the 1943-P Full Steps Nickel, it is sold at a much higher price ($14,688) in MS68FS condition.
6. 1945-D Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
1945 was the last year of World War 2 and War Nickels were also made till this year. They are called “Silver War Nickels” because there is a huge difference in their composition which I explained to you well in the how to find wartime nickel coins.
- Year: 1945
- Mint Mark: Denver (D)
- Grade: MS68
- Date of Sale: 10 July 2014
- Price: $4,847
In 1945 War Nickel was minted by three mints: Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. A total of 37.16 million coins were struck by the Denver Mint in 1945.
The 1945-D Nikel was sold for $4,847 in 2014 but if we talk about its latest price then in the MS68 condition its price has increased to $8,000. Now imagine what will be the price of a full steps coin. Don’t worry, let me tell you, the 1945-D Full Step Nickel is selling for $25,000 in a 2021 eBay auction. This coin is the most expensive war nickel.
Related: 2007 James Madison Dollar Coin Value (Price Chart)
7. 1942-S Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
This coin was minted by the San Francisco Mint with the “S” mint mark. Approximately 32.9 million coins were minted by this mint. As we can see the coins above with a P mint mark are sold at a higher price than the 1942-S mint mark coins.
- Year: 1942
- Mint Mark: San Francisco (S)
- Grade: MS68
- Date of Sale: 12 Nov. 2020
- Price: $2,625
But if we talk about the current price of this coin, then the price of this coin according to PCGS MS68 condition has increased to $5,000. And around 33 lakh such coins are surviving in the market. Therefore, it comes in the category of a very common coin, due to which its price is also affected.
8. 1943-P Doubled Die Obverse Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
This coin is the first among Silver War Nickels to exhibit the double die obverse error. And because of this error, it becomes a unique coin. Doubled die errors are not too common in the War Nickels series. In fact, there are only two known significant doubled die dates, including the 1943-P DD Obverse, and the 1945 DD Reverse.
- Year: 1943
- Mint Mark: Philadelphia (P)
- Grade: MS68
- Date of Sale: 16 Aug. 2006
- Price: $3,738
And if we talk about the 1933 DDO coin in full steps, it is sold at a very high price ($11,500). You can see the difference, how amazing it is. Only 183 such examples have been certified from PCGS in 2011, of which only 29 have full steps.
9. 1945-P Doubled Die Reverse Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
As I told you above, double die coins are of only two dates, this is the second one. On the reverse side of this coin, where Monticello and Five Cents are written, they are printed twice by the Philadelphia Mint.
- Year: 1943
- Mint Mark: Philadelphia (P)
- Grade: MS68
- Date of Sale: 16 Aug. 2006
- Price: $3,738
The Philadelphia Mint has minted approximately 119.4 million such coins, of which only 40,000 survive in the market.
This time too, the MS60 grade full steps coin wins, which was sold for $14,000 in 2014, but if you currently have this coin of MS60+ grade, then its price has increased to $20,000.
10. 1944-P Jefferson Nickel Regular Strike
If you do not know, let me tell you that there was no mint mark on the coins made by the Philadelphia Mint, but only the 1942-1945 silver war nickels had the large letter mint mark printed. So that wartime nickel can be distinguished from non-silver nickel for ease of identification.
- Year: 1944
- Mint Mark: Philadelphia (P)
- Grade: MS60
- Date of Sale: 14 June 2011
- Price: $7,475
This is a very common coin as it was minted in large quantities and you can buy it in MS60-MS66 condition for only $25. But coins with MS67 and MS68 condition become rare.
