Nickel (United States coin)
| Composition | 25% nickel 75% copper “War Nickels” (mid-1942 to 1945): 56% copper 35% silver 9% manganese |
| Silver | 1942 to 1945 Wartime Nickels only (with large mint mark on reverse) 1.750 g 0.05626 troy oz |
| Years of minting | 1866 – present (except 1922, 1932, and 1933) |
| Obverse | |
|---|---|
| Design | Thomas Jefferson |
How much is a 1959 nickel worth today?
CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 1959 Jefferson Nickel value at an average of 5 cents, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $289.
When was the last time Nickel was made of silver?
No, nickels were only made of 35% silver for a very brief time—from 1942 to 1945, during World War II. Since 1946, U.S. nickels have returned to the standard composition of 75% copper and 25% nickel.
When was the first nickel made in the US?
The Top 10 Most Valuable Nickels of All Time Nickels were first minted in the United States in 1866. At that time most coins were made out of silver or gold. The United States made lower denomination coins out of pure copper. Although the nickel is silver in color, it has no silver in it.
When was the last year we had silver coins?
1964 was the last year for silver quarters. Quarters dated 1965 or later are all copper-nickel clad coins except for the dual-dated Bicentennial Quarters that were sold by the Mint in special Mint Sets and Proof Sets. These quarters contain 40% fine silver and have an “S” mint mark.
When did Jefferson nickels start to contain silver?
The only Jefferson nickels to contain silver were from 1942–1945 and they contained 35% silver. During those years nickel was needed for armor plating, etc for WWII. That’s why 1942–45 nickels are called “war nickles”. 1964 and older dollars, half dollars, quarters and dimes all had a 90% silver composition.
