Coin specifications and design
Design identification
Obverse: Thomas Jefferson portrait.
Reverse: Monticello, with a large P, D, or S mintmark above the dome identifying the wartime silver-alloy issue.
U.S. Mint coin reference
1942–1945: Jefferson Wartime Nickel (35% Silver Alloy with Large Mint Mark Above Dome)
Jefferson Wartime Nickel 1942-1945 silver alloy wartime nickel guide.
1942–1945: Jefferson Wartime Nickel (35% Silver Alloy with Large Mint Mark Above Dome) history
Nickel was needed for wartime industry, so the Mint adopted a 35% silver alloy for part of 1942 through 1945. A large P, D, or S above Monticello identifies these issues; this was the first use of a P mintmark on a United States coin.
The distinctive alloy can tone differently from ordinary copper-nickel pieces, but color alone is not conclusive. Confirm the oversized mintmark, date, 5.00-gram standard, and Monticello reverse.