Coin specifications and design
Design identification
Obverse: Thomas Jefferson portrait.
Reverse: Monticello.
U.S. Mint coin reference
1938–1942: Jefferson Nickel (Standard Copper-Nickel Composition Type)
1938–1942: Jefferson Nickel (Standard Copper-Nickel Composition Type) history
Felix Schlag's Jefferson nickel replaced the Buffalo design in 1938. This first standard-alloy interval ends partway through 1942, when wartime metal needs prompted a silver-bearing composition.
Monticello steps and architectural detail are important strike indicators. A small D or S mintmark beside Monticello identifies branch-mint pieces, unlike the large wartime mintmark placed above the dome.