Vital Stats.

Type 1, Original Design

Type 1
Original Design (1938-1942), (1945-2003)

When the Treasury Dept. decided to discontinue the Buffalo design on the nickel, a nationwide competition was announced. The mint wanted the design to portray Thomas Jefferson on the Obverse and the reverse was to be his home Monticello.

German-American sculptor Felix Schlag, out of 390 entries, won the competition and collected the $1,000. but his design was modified by the mint and in September of 1938 production began! In spite of the popularity of coin collecting, there was little interest in the new coin.

All three mints coined Jefferson Nickels from 1938 onward. With the exception of the silver nickels used in World War Two, mintmarks appeared to the right of Monticello through 1964. Use of mintmarks were suspended because of a nationwide coin shortage, and were restored in 1968. Since 1968, they have been placed beneath the date, to the right of Jefferson’s whig.

Vital Stats.

Type 2
Silver Alloy 1942 - 1945

During World War II Nickel (the metal) was scarce and in great demand. The Jefferson nickel was changed to 56% copper, 35% silver and 9% manganese during this critical period. To distinguish these coins from the origional coins, the mint mark was place above Monticello with a large letter. At the end of WWII use of the origional alloy and the origional mint marks were resumed.

Westward Journey Series

In 2004 & 2005 there were four new designs. The new designs were to commemorate the Lewis and Clark expidition, who's official task was, at the order of President Jefferson, to explore the newly aquired Louisiana purchase. Unofficially, they were to explore all the way to the Pacific Ocean and thereby lay claim to that land in the name of the United States.

In 2004 the Obverse of the coins were left unchanged.

In 2005 both Obverse and Reverse were changed. Along with a brief return of the Buffalo to the nickel and a view of the Pacific Ocean, a new image of Jefferson was added to the Nickel.

Type 7
Jefferson Portrait 2006 -

In 2006 Jefferson was changed again, and monticello returned to the reverse. With todays technology, it is fairly easy to strike Montecello where all six steps show. Graders call it "FS" or (Full Steps).