US Jefferson Nickel | Facts, Grading Standards, and Specifications

Jefferson Nickel (1938 - Present)

Jefferson Nickel General Grading Standards

VG8 Very Good - Second porch pillar from right nearly gone, other three still visible but weak.
F12 Fine - Cheekbone worn flat. Hairlines and eyebrow faint. Second pillar weak, especially at bottom.
VF20 Very Fine - Second pillar plain and complete on both sides.
EF40 Extremely Fine - Cheekbone, hairlines, eyebrow slightly worn but well defined. Base of triangle above pillars visible but weak.
AU50 About Uncirculated - Traces of light wear on only the high points of the design. Half of mint luster is present.
MS65 Choice Uncirculated - No trace of wear. Barely noticeable blemishes.

Nickel Planchets (1938-1942)

Designer: Felix Schlag	Weight: 5 grams
Diameter: 21.2 millimeters	Edge: Plain
Content: 75% Copper 25% Nickel

Year/ Mint Mark	Circulation Strikes	Proof Strikes
1938	19,496,000	19,365
1938-D	5,376,000	0
1938-S	4,105,000	0
1939	120,615,000	12,535
1939-D	3,514,000	0
1939-S	6,630,000	0
1940	176,485,000	14,158
1940-D	43,540,000	0
1940-S	39,690,000	0
1941	203,265,000	18,720
1941-D	53,432,000	0
1941-S	43,445,000	0
1942	49,789,000	29,600
1942-D	13,938,000	0

Wartime Planchets (1942-1945)

Designer: Felix Schlag	Weight: 5 grams
Diameter: 21.2 millimeters	Edge: Plain
Content: 56% Copper 35% Silver 9% Manganese

Year/ Mint Mark	Circulation Strikes	Proof Strikes
1942-P	57,873,000	27,600
1942-S	32,900,000	0
1943-P	271,165,000	0
1943-D	15,294,000	0
1943-S	104,060,000	0
1944-P	119,150,000	0
1944-D	32,309,000	0
1944-S	21,640,000	0
1945-P	119,408,100	0
1945-D	37,158,000	0
1945-S	58,939,000	0

Nickel Planchets (1946-DATE)

Designer: Felix Schlag	Weight: 5 grams
Diameter: 21.2 millimeters	Edge: Plain
Content: 75% Copper 25% Nickel

Year/ Mint Mark	Circulation Strikes	Proof Strikes
1946	161,116,000	0
1946-D	45,292,200	0
1946-S	13,560,000	0
1947	95,000,000	0
1947-D	37,822,000	0
1947-S	24,720,000	0
1948	89,348,000	0
1948-D	44,734,000	0
1948-S	11,300,000	0
1949	60,652,000	0
1949-D	36,498,000	0
1949-S	9,716,000	0
1950	9,796,000	51,386
1950-D	2,630,030	0
1951	28,552,000	57,500
1951-D	20,460,000	0
1951-S	7,776,000	0
1952	63,988,000	81,980
1952-D	30,638,000	0
1952-S	20,572,000	0
1953	46,644,000	128,800
1953-D	59,878,600	0
1953-S	19,210,900	0
1954	47,684,050	233,300
1954-D	117,183,060	0
1954-S	29,384,000	0
1955	7,888,000	378,200
1955-D	74,464,100	0
1956	35,216,000	669,384
1956-D	67,222,940	0
1957	38,408,000	1,247,952
1957-D	136,828,900	0
1958	17,088,000	875,652
1958-D	168,249,120	0
1959	27,248,000	1,149,291
1959-D	160,738,240	0
1960	55,416,000	1,691,602
1960-D	192,582,180	0
1961	73,640,100	3,028,144
1961-D	229,342,760	0
1962	97,384,000	3,218,019
1962-D	280,195,720	0
1963	178,851,645	3,075,645
1963-D	276,829,460	0
1964	1,028,622,762	3,950,762
1964-D	1,787,297,160	0
1965	136,131,380	2,360,000*
1966	156,208,283	2,261,583*
1967	107,325,800	1,863,344*
1968-D	91,227,880	0
1968-S	100,396,004	3,041,506
1969-D	202,807,500	0
1969-S	120,075,000	2,934,631
1970-D	515,485,380	0
1970-S	238,832,004	2,632,810
1971	106,884,000	0
1971-D	316,144,800	0
1971-S	0	3,220,733
1972	202,036,000	0
1972-D	351,694,600	0
1972-S	0	3,260,996
1973	384,396,000	0
1973-D	361,405,000	0
1973-S	0	2,760,339
1974	601,752,000	0
1974-D	277,373,000	0
1974-S	0	2,612,568
1975	181,772,000	0
1975-D	401,875,300	0
1975-S	0	2,845,450
1976	367,124,000	0
1976-D	563,964,147	0
1976-S	0	4,149,730
1977	585,376,000	0
1977-D	297,313,422	0
1977-S	0	3,251,152
1978	391,308,000	0
1978-D	313,092,780	0
1978-S	0	3,127,781
1979	463,188,000	0
1979-D	325,867,672	0
1979-S	0	3,677,175
1980-P	593,004,000	0
1980-D	502,323,448	0
1980-S	0	3,554,806
1981-P	657,504,000	0
1981-D	364,801,843	0
1981-S	0	4,063,083
1982-P	292,355,000	0
1982-D	373,726,544	0
1982-S	3,857,479	0
1983-P	561,615,000	0
1983-D	536,726,276	0
1983-S	0	3,279,126
1984-P	746,769,000	0
1984-D	517,675,146	0
1984-S	0	3,065,110
1985-P	647,114,962	0
1985-D	459,747,446	0
1985-S	0	3,362,821
1986-P	536,883,483	0
1986-D	361,819,140	0
1986-S	0	3,010,497
1987-P	371,499,481	0
1987-D	410,590,604	0
1987-S	0	4,227,728
1988-P	771,360,000	0
1988-D	663,771,652	0
1988-S	0	3,262,948
1989-P	898,812,000	0
1989-D	570,842,474
1989-S	0	3,220,194
1990-P	661,636,000	0
1990-D	663,938,503	0
1990-S	0	3,299,559
1991-P	614,104,000	0
1991-D	436,496,678	0
1991-S	0	2,867,787
1992-P	399,552,000	0
1992-D	450,565,113	0
1992-S	0	4,176,560
1993-P	412,076,000	0
1993-D	406,084,135	0
1993-S	0	3,394,792
1994-P	722,160,000	0
1994-P Matte	167,703	0
1994-D	715,762,110	0
1994-S	0	3,269,923
1995-P	774,156,000	0
1995-D	888,112,000	0
1995-S	0	2,797,481
1996-P	829,332,000	0
1996-D	817,736,000	0
1996-S	0	2,525,625
1997-P	470,972,000	0
1997-P Matte	25,000	0
1997-D	466,640,000	0
1997-S	0	2,796,678
1998-P	688,292,000	0
1998-D	635,380,000	0
1998-S	0	2,086,507
1999-P	1,212,000,000	0
1999-D	1,066,720,000	0
1999-S	0	2,543,401
2000-P	31,200,000	0
2000-D	168,480,000	0
2000-S	0	3,082,483
2001-P	675,704,000	0
2001-D	627,680,000	0
2001-S	0	2,294,043
2002-P	529,280,000	0
2002-D	691,200,000	0
2002-S	0	2,277,720

*The Proof mintage is for Special Mint Sets, which contained specially prepared coins that were not quite up to Proof standards.

Mint Mark Legend:

1938-1967: To the right or above Monticello on the reverse.
1968-Present: Below the date on the obverse.

Mint Mark	Mint	Date of Operation
P or none	Philadelphia	1793-present
S	San Francisco, CA	1854-1955; 1968-present
D	Denver, CO	1906-present

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