How Do You Ask Dealers About Henning Nickels?

Here is an example that still has luster. As pointed out by XavierOfGreen the host coins were circulated so the dies did not have the fine detail we expect to see.

I was in my LCS the other day I noticed a magazine, it had a cover story about valuable fakes and there was a picture of a 1944 no mint mark but I didn't look at the name of the magazine, and got busy looking at the Morgans. I messed up and got one that I didn't need so I'll be going back Monday. I'll try to remember to ask about the magazine.

Edit: spelling

Here's a 1939. not my Coin from yahoo images showing cast surface detail but no circulation were. I'm fairly certain I see that line from the base of the W in we as a diagnostic which can identify 39 Hennings from mint issue

I'd wager a good portion of the 39 coins circulated freely. Might still be some out there.

I know that at least some of the 1939 hennings have a looped R in the reverse similar to the 1944 Pyrbob posted above (if I remember correctly Pyrbob's 1939 is also a looped R). There are actual two varieties of the 1944 version, those with and those without the looped R.
Besides the Looped R 1939 and the 1944 issues, the other henning years are notoriously hard to identify. The easiest way would be by weight, since if my memory serves hennings weigh more than genuine examples do.

I have seen 7 of these in person, and Pyrbob's example is either the highest or second highest grade I have seen. I doubt any example in existence has sharp well defined pillars on the reverse.