The Jefferson Nickel is a long running coin series featuring the 3rd President of the United States and one of the writers of the Declaration of Independence. The series was launched in 1938 and has been minted for all subsequent years to date. There are no significantly low mintages for the duration of the series, making it relatively approachable for the average collector.
Felix O. Schlag was the designer of the original Jefferson Nickel. His design featured a left facing portrait of Thomas Jefferson on the obverse with an image of his home at Monticello on the reverse. This design was used continuously from 1938 to 2003. During the following three years design changes were make to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis & Clark expedition. At the conclusion of the series a new obverse design by Joe Fitzgerald was adopted and used for subsequent years.
Jefferson Nickel Notes
- Through 2023, there are a total of 278 different date, mint mark, and design combinations for the series, with coins struck variously at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints.
- The total number of coins struck for circulation stands at 67,230,542,410.
- During the years 1942 to 1945, nickels were struck containing 35% silver. The total mintage of silver nickels was 869,896,100.
- The lowest mintage occurred with the 1950-D Jefferson Nickel, which had a mintage of 2,630,030.
- On the other end of the spectrum, the highest mintage was for the 1964-D Jefferson Nickel at 1,787,297,160.
- From 2004 to 2005, the U.S. Mint issued the Westward Journey Nickels to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase and the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark. During these years, the Jefferson Nickel featured four new reverse designs and two new obverse designs. In total, 3,198,886,849 Westward Journey Nickels were struck, including Proof versions struck at the San Francisco Mint.
- In 2009, many collectors were surprised by the mintages of 39,840,000 Philadelphia coins and 46,800,000 Denver coins. These figures represented the lowest in many decades. However, in the following years, the mintage for Philadelphia and Denver coins has significantly increased.
Jefferson Nickel Mintages
| Issue | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1938 | 19,496,000 |
| 1938 Proof | 19,365 |
| 1938-D | 5,376,000 |
| 1938-S | 4,105,000 |
| 1939 | 120,615,000 |
| 1939 Proof | 12,535 |
| 1939-D | 3,514,000 |
| 1939-S | 6,630,000 |
| 1940 | 176,485,000 |
| 1940 Proof | 14,158 |
| 1940-D | 43,540,000 |
| 1940-S | 39,690,000 |
| 1941 | 203,265,000 |
| 1941 Proof | 18,720 |
| 1941-D | 53,432,000 |
| 1941-S | 43,445,000 |
| 1942 | 49,789,000 |
| 1942 Proof | 29,600 |
| 1942-D | 13,938,000 |
| 1942-P Silver | 57,873,000 |
| 1942-P Silver Proof | 27,600 |
| 1942-S Silver | 32,900,000 |
| 1943-P Silver | 271,165,000 |
| 1943-D Silver | 15,294,000 |
| 1943-S Silver | 104,060,000 |
| 1944-P Silver | 119,150,000 |
| 1944-D Silver | 32,309,000 |
| 1944-S Silver | 21,640,000 |
| 1945-P Silver | 119,408,100 |
| 1945-D Silver | 37,158,000 |
| 1945-S Silver | 58,939,000 |
| 1946 | 161,116,000 |
| 1946-D | 45,292,200 |
| 1946-S | 13,560,000 |
| 1947 | 95,000,000 |
| 1947-D | 37,822,000 |
| 1947-S | 24,720,000 |
| 1948 | 89,348,000 |
| 1948-D | 44,734,000 |
| 1948-S | 11,300,000 |
| 1949 | 60,652,000 |
| 1949-D | 36,498,000 |
| 1949-S | 9,716,000 |
Jefferson Nickel Mintages Continued
| Issue | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 9,796,000 |
| 1950 Proof | 51,386 |
| 1950-D | 2,630,030 |
| 1951 | 28,552,000 |
| 1951 Proof | 57,500 |
| 1951-D | 20,460,000 |
| 1951-S | 7,776,000 |
| 1952 | 63,988,000 |
| 1952 Proof | 81,980 |
| 1952-D | 30,638,000 |
| 1952-S | 20,572,000 |
| 1953 | 46,644,000 |
| 1953 Proof | 128,800 |
| 1953-D | 59,878,600 |
| 1953-S | 19,210,900 |
| 1954 | 47,684,050 |
| 1954 Proof | 233,300 |
| 1954-D | 117,183,060 |
| 1954-S | 29,384,000 |
| 1955 | 7,888,000 |
| 1955 Proof | 378,200 |
| 1955-D | 74,464,100 |
| 1956 | 35,216,000 |
| 1956 Proof | 669,384 |
| 1956-D | 67,222,940 |
| 1957 | 38,408,000 |
| 1957 Proof | 1,247,952 |
| 1957-D | 136,828,900 |
| 1958 | 17,088,000 |
| 1958 Proof | 875,652 |
| 1958-D | 168,249,120 |
| 1959 | 27,248,000 |
| 1959 Proof | 1,149,291 |
| 1959-D | 160,738,240 |
| 1960 | 55,416,000 |
| 1960 Proof | 1,691,602 |
| 1960-D | 192,582,180 |
| 1961 | 73,640,100 |
| 1961 Proof | 3,028,144 |
| 1961-D | 229,342,760 |
| 1962 | 97,384,000 |
| 1962 Proof | 3,218,019 |
| 1962-D | 280,195,720 |
| 1963 | 178,851,645 |
| 1963 Proof | 3,075,645 |
| 1963-D | 276,829,460 |
| 1964 | 1,028,622,762 |
| 1964 Proof | 3,950,762 |
| 1964-D | 1,787,297,160 |
| 1965 | 136,131,380 |
| 1966 | 156,208,283 |
Jefferson Nickel Mintages Continued
| Issue | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1967 | 107,325,800 |
| 1968-D | 91,227,880 |
| 1968-S | 100,396,004 |
| 1968-S Proof | 3,041,506 |
| 1969-D | 202,807,500 |
| 1969-S | 120,075,000 |
| 1969-S Proof | 2,934,631 |
| 1970-D | 515,485,380 |
| 1970-S | 238,832,004 |
| 1970-S Proof | 2,632,810 |
| 1971 | 106,884,000 |
| 1971-D | 316,144,800 |
| 1971-S Proof | 3,220,733 |
| 1972 | 202,036,000 |
| 1972-D | 351,694,600 |
| 1972-S Proof | 3,260,996 |
| 1973 | 384,396,000 |
| 1973-D | 361,405,000 |
| 1973-S Proof | 2,760,339 |
| 1974 | 601,752,000 |
| 1974-D | 277,373,000 |
| 1974-S Proof | 2,612,568 |
| 1975 | 181,772,000 |
| 1975-D | 401,875,300 |
| 1975-S Proof | 2,845,450 |
| 1976 | 367,124,000 |
| 1976-D | 563,964,147 |
| 1976-S Proof | 4,149,730 |
| 1977 | 585,376,000 |
| 1977-D | 297,313,422 |
| 1977-S Proof | 3,251,152 |
| 1978 | 391,308,000 |
| 1978-D | 313,092,780 |
| 1978-S Proof | 3,127,781 |
| 1979 | 463,188,000 |
| 1979-D | 325,867,672 |
| 1979-S Proof | 3,677,175 |
| 1980-P | 593,004,000 |
| 1980-D | 502,323,448 |
Jefferson Nickel Mintages Continued
| Issue | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1980-S Proof | 3,554,806 |
| 1981-P | 657,504,000 |
| 1981-D | 364,801,843 |
| 1981-S Proof | 4,063,083 |
| 1982-P | 292,355,000 |
| 1982-D | 373,726,544 |
| 1982-S Proof | 3,857,479 |
| 1983-P | 561,615,000 |
| 1983-D | 536,726,276 |
| 1983-S Proof | 3,279,126 |
| 1984-P | 746,769,000 |
| 1984-D | 517,675,146 |
| 1984-S Proof | 3,065,110 |
| 1985-P | 647,114,962 |
| 1985-D | 459,747,446 |
| 1985-S Proof | 3,362,821 |
| 1986-P | 536,883,483 |
| 1986-D | 361,819,140 |
| 1986-S Proof | 3,010,497 |
| 1987-P | 371,499,481 |
| 1987-D | 410,590,604 |
| 1987-S Proof | 4,227,728 |
| 1988-P | 771,360,000 |
| 1988-D | 663,771,652 |
| 1988-S Proof | 3,262,948 |
| 1989-P | 898,812,000 |
| 1989-D | 570,842,474 |
| 1989-S Proof | 3,220,194 |
| 1990-P | 661,636,000 |
| 1990-D | 663,938,503 |
| 1990-S Proof | 3,299,559 |
| 1991-P | 614,104,000 |
| 1991-D | 436,496,678 |
| 1991-S Proof | 2,867,787 |
| 1992-P | 399,552,000 |
| 1992-D | 450,565,113 |
Jefferson Nickel Mintages Continued
| Issue | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 1992-S Proof | 4,176,560 |
| 1993-P | 412,076,000 |
| 1993-D | 406,084,135 |
| 1993-S Proof | 3,394,792 |
| 1994-P | 722,160,000 |
| 1994-P Matte Finish | 167,703 |
| 1994-D | 715,762,110 |
| 1994-S Proof | 3,269,923 |
| 1995-P | 774,156,000 |
| 1995-D | 888,112,000 |
| 1995-S Proof | 2,797,481 |
| 1996-P | 829,332,000 |
| 1996-D | 817,736,000 |
| 1996-S Proof | 2,525,265 |
| 1997-P | 470,972,000 |
| 1997 Matte Finish | 25,000 |
| 1997-D | 466,640,000 |
| 1997-S Proof | 2,769,678 |
| 1998-P | 688,292,000 |
| 1998-D | 635,380,000 |
| 1998-S Proof | 2,086,507 |
| 1999-P | 1,212,000,000 |
| 1999-D | 1,066,720,000 |
| 1999-S Proof | 3,347,966 |
| 2000-P | 846,240,000 |
| 2000-D | 1,509,520,000 |
| 2000-S Proof | 4,047,993 |
| 2001-P | 675,704,000 |
| 2001-D | 627,680,000 |
| 2001-S Proof | 3,184,606 |
| 2002-P | 539,280,000 |
| 2002-D | 691,200,000 |
| 2002-S Proof | 3,211,995 |
| 2003-P | 441,840,000 |
| 2003-D | 383,040,000 |
| 2003-S Proof | 3,298,439 |
Westward Journey Nickel Mintages
| Issue | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 2004-P Peace Medal | 361,440,000 |
| 2004-D Peace Medal | 372,000,000 |
| 2004-S Proof Peace Medal | 2,992,069 |
| 2004-P Keelboat | 366,720,000 |
| 2004-D Keelboat | 344,880,000 |
| 2004-S Proof Keelboat | 2,965,422 |
| 2005-P American Bison | 448,320,000 |
| 2005-D American Bison | 487,680,000 |
| 2005-S Proof American Bison | 3,344,679 |
| 2005-P Ocean in View | 394,080,000 |
| 2005-D Ocean in View | 411,120,000 |
| 2005-S Proof Ocean in View | 3,344,679 |
| Issue | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 2006-P | 693,120,000 |
| 2006-D | 809,280,000 |
| 2006-S Proof | 3,054,436 |
| 2007-P | 571,680,000 |
| 2007-D | 626,160,000 |
| 2007-S Proof | 2,577,166 |
| 2008-P | 279,840,000 |
| 2008-D | 345,600,000 |
| 2008-S Proof | 2,169,561 |
| 2009-P | 39,840,000 |
| 2009-D | 46,800,000 |
| 2009-S Proof | 2,179,867 |
| 2010-P | 260,640,000 |
| 2010-D | 229,920,000 |
| 2010-S Proof | 1,689,216 |
| 2011-P | 450,000,000 |
| 2011-D | 540,240,000 |
| 2011-S Proof | 1,673,010 |
| 2012-P | 464,640,000 |
| 2012-D | 558,960,000 |
| 2012-S Proof | 1,239,148 |
| 2013-P | 607,440,000 |
| 2013-D | 615,600,000 |
| 2013-S Proof | 1,274,505 |
| 2014-P | 635,520,000 |
| 2014-D | 570,720,000 |
| 2014-S Proof | 1,190,369 |
| 2015-P | 752,880,000 |
| 2015-D | 846,720,000 |
| 2015-S Proof | 1,099,182 |
Jefferson Nickel Mintages Continued
The mintages presented in the table below are subject to change and reflect the most current information as of January 8, 2024.
| Issue | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 2016-P | 786,960,000 |
| 2016-D | 759,600,000 |
| 2016-S Proof | 1,011,624 |
| 2017-P | 710,160,000 |
| 2017-D | 663,120,000 |
| 2017-S Proof | 979,477 |
| 2018-P | 629,520,000 |
| 2018-D | 626,880,000 |
| 2018-S Proof | 901,072 |
| 2019-P | 567,854,400 |
| 2019-D | 527,040,000 |
| 2019-S Proof | 1,061,558 |
| 2020-P | 772,780,000 |
| 2020-D | 798,000,000 |
| 2020-S Proof | 824,332 |
| 2020-W | 465,080 |
| 2020-W Reverse Proof | 313,184 |
| 2021-P | 785,500,000 |
| 2021-D | 837,600,000 |
| 2021-S Proof | 792,612 |
| 2022-P | 769,920,000 |
| 2022-D | 777,600,000 |
| 2022-S Proof | 647,021 |
| 2023-P | 692,600,000 |
| 2023-D | 734,800,000 |
| 2023-S Proof | 553,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Jefferson Nickel has the lowest mintage?
The lowest-minted mint state Jefferson Nickel is the 1950-D Jefferson Nickel, which has a mintage of 2,630,030. The lowest-minted Proof Jefferson Nickel is the 1939 Proof Jefferson Nickel, which has a mintage of 12,535.
What is the mintage for Jefferson Nickels?
The total mintage for the Jefferson Nickel is 70,223,084,417. Mintages for each issue of the Jefferson Nickel can be found by consulting the data above.
How many Jefferson Nickels have been struck?
The U.S. Mint has struck a total of 70,223,084,417 Jefferson Nickels since 1938.
Where are Jefferson Nickels produced?
The U.S. Mint has struck Jefferson Nickels at the Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point Mint facilities.
How many varieties of Jefferson Nickels have been produced?
The U.S. Mint has struck 168 varieties of the Jefferson Nickel from 1938 to the present day.
