DescriptionA silver U.S. Jefferson War nickel, dated between 1942-1945. These coins are in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, with no wear and strong luster. Between the WWII years of 1942-1945, the U.S. Mint adjusted the composition of the Jefferson nickel, completely removing nickel from the alloy. This was an effort to conserve nickel for the war effort, where it was used for armor plating. The new composition of the coin was 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese, resulting in a coin that was similar in appearance and weight to the old nickel. Because of the presence of silver, the war nickels have a brighter, more lustrous appearance than normal nickels. To make the war nickels easy to identify, pull out of circulation and melt down after the war, the coin's mintmark was enlarged and moved above Monticello on the reverse of the coin. The Jefferson nickel was first produced in 1938 and was one of several new 20th century coin designs featuring presidents along with the Lincoln cent, Washington quarter, and Roosevelt dime. The Jefferson design replaced the Buffalo nickel design, which had been in place since 1913 but was difficult to produce due to its high-relief design. The Mint held an open competition for designs, and accepted this design by the German sculptor Felix Schlag with a modified reverse. Each Jefferson nickel measures 21mm in diameter, weighs 5g, and is made of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese. Each coin will be shipped in a archival-quality mylar flip, secured in a corrugated cardboard safety mailer by Original Skin Coins. Each flip also includes a small insert with basic info on the coin.