Wartime Nickels
1945 Jefferson Five Cents obverse Nickels are called “nickels” because they are made with the metal nickel. Before “nickels” silver half dimes were used, but there size and the problems with silver supplies during the United States Civil War caused the Mint to substitute the silver with nickel. Nickels started being minted by the United States in 1866 even though the silver half dime wasn’t finally phased out until 1873. The Jefferson Nickel series started in 1938 composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel. They are still in production although in recent years there have been changes in design. World War II caused a high demand for nickel which was being used to make the armor of the various war machines. The “Wartime Nickels” or Jefferson WWII silver nickels were struck from mid-1942 to 1945. They are composed of 56% copper, 35% silver and 9% manganese. 1945 Jefferson Five Cents reverse This was the first time that the United States used manganese i...