1. Nickels And Dimes
2. Nickels Worth Keeping

Nickels And Dimes

What are buffalo nickels? Sometimes called Indian head nickels, the government started making these in 1913. This coin shows an Indian head on the front and a buffalo standing on a raised mound of dirt on the back. The government soon started using just a line under the animal and recessing the words 'five cents' below it. A wooden nickel A person or thing that only vaguely appears to have any real value, but is ultimately worthless. A nickel is worth five cents, thus already being worth very little. Primarily heard in US.

The Jefferson Nickel has been the longest running series for the five cent denomination. Featuring a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States, the design was introduced in 1938. This came after the introduction of the Lincoln Cent and Washington Quarter and represented the third series of American coinage to feature a former President on the obverse. During its long history, the Jefferson Nickel has undergone a temporary composition change and in recent years, a number of obverse and reverse design changes.

The original Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix O. Schlag. A left-facing portrait of the former President is shown on the obverse with required inscriptions “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, and the date. The reverse features an image of Jefferson’s historic home known as Monticello with inscriptions “E Pluribus Unum”, “United States of America”, “Monticello” and “Five Cents”.

This same design remained in use without any significant changes for more than six decades. Then, a series of design changes took place from 2004 to 2006 to commemorate the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark’s expedition through the vast territory. Over the course of three years, theWestward Journey Nickels would feature four different reverse designs before reverting to the original image of Monticello. The obverse would feature two new portraits of Jefferson, with the second serving as the replacement going forward.

Despite its lengthy duration, the series remains an approachable one for beginning collectors. It is entirely possible to find the earlier dates of the series in circulation and even an uncirculated set does not include any expensive key date coins. Advanced collectors can also find challenge in assembling a set of gem condition coins with well defined strikes, as represented by the appearance of “Full Steps” on reverse.

Nickels Worth Keeping

This site provides basic information on the series of Jefferson Nickels, including the designs, mintages, coin specification, and important issues of the series. We hope that both beginning and advanced collectors will find the site informative and educational.