NumisDex
LoginSign Up
0

What to Look for in Nickel Rolls: War Nickels, Buffaloes, and Jefferson Varieties

Posted by NumisdexDealer· 0 replies

The Overlooked Denomination

Nickels don't get as much attention as pennies or quarters in the coin roll hunting community, but they should. At $2.00 per roll (40 coins), nickel rolls offer a realistic chance of finding silver war nickels, pre-war Buffalo nickels, and valuable Jefferson varieties. The nickel has never changed its 5-cent denomination since 1866, giving you 160 years of potential finds.

War Nickels (1942-1945) — Silver Content

This is the #1 find in nickel rolls. From mid-1942 through 1945, Jefferson nickels were struck in a special alloy of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese — replacing the standard 75% copper / 25% nickel composition to conserve nickel for the war effort.

How to identify them:

  • Look at the reverse. War nickels have a large mintmark (P, D, or S) above Monticello. This is the only time the Philadelphia Mint used a "P" mintmark on a nickel before 1980.
  • The silver content gives them a slightly different color — more gray-silver than the yellow-tinged color of standard nickels.
  • Each war nickel contains 0.05626 troy ounces of silver. At $67/oz silver, that's approximately $3.77 in melt value — well above the 5-cent face value.

Dates to look for: 1942-P (large mintmark above Monticello), 1942-S, 1943-P, 1943-D, 1943-S, 1944-P, 1944-D, 1944-S, 1945-P, 1945-D, 1945-S. Note: 1942-D exists in BOTH regular and silver compositions — check the mintmark location.

Buffalo Nickels (1913-1938)

Buffalo (Indian Head) nickels still appear in circulation, though they're becoming scarce. Most are dateless or heavily worn, but even a dateless Buffalo is worth $0.25-0.50 to dealers. Key dates to watch:

  • 1913-S Type 2 — Worth $50+ in any identifiable grade
  • 1914-D — Worth $75+ in Good
  • 1921-S — Worth $25+ in Good
  • 1924-S — Worth $20+ in Good
  • 1926-S — Worth $30+ in Good
  • Any 3-legged variety (1937-D) — Worth $400+ in Good. The bison's front right leg is missing due to over-polishing of the die.

Jefferson Nickel Varieties

Jefferson nickels (1938-present) are often overlooked, but several varieties are valuable:

  • 1939 Doubled Die Reverse — "MONTICELLO" shows strong doubling. Worth $50-100.
  • 1943/2-P Overdate — The 3 is punched over a 2. Worth $50-75 in Fine.
  • 1949-D/S RPM — A D mintmark punched over an S. Worth $20-40.
  • 1964-D Doubled Die Reverse — Worth $25-50.
  • 2004-2005 Westward Journey — The Peace Medal, Keelboat, Bison, and Ocean in View designs are popular with collectors. Worth face value but frequently saved.
  • Full Steps (FS) designation — Any Jefferson nickel with fully struck steps on Monticello is worth a premium, particularly in uncirculated condition.

CRH Tips for Nickel Rolls

  • Edge-check for war nickels. Silver war nickels have a distinctly different edge appearance — no copper core visible.
  • Weigh suspicious coins. War nickels weigh 5.00 grams (same as standard), so weight alone doesn't distinguish them. Visual inspection is necessary.
  • Save all pre-1960 Jeffersons in nice condition. Full Steps specimens from the 1940s-1950s can be worth significant premiums in high grade.
  • Check both sides of every Buffalo. Even worn specimens can have identifiable dates under proper lighting.

Explore Jefferson Nickels and Buffalo Nickels in the NumisDex catalog.

0 Replies

Related Threads