Numismatic

1943-S Jefferson Nickel MS-66 PCGS (FS)

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During the height of the Second World War, the composition of the United States five-cent piece underwent a temporary transformation. This 1943 specimen from the San Francisco Mint is struck in a thirty-five percent silver alloy, a metallic shift designed to conserve nickel for wartime industry. This particular coin has survived the decades in an exceptional state of preservation, earning a high grade of Mint State 66 with the Full Steps designation, which indicates an incredibly sharp strike on the building's stairs. The obverse of the coin presents the classic left-facing profile of Thomas Jefferson. Surrounding his portrait are the familiar inscriptions of trust and freedom, including the motto In God We Trust, the word Liberty, and the wartime date of 1943. On the reverse, Jefferson's historic Virginia estate, Monticello, is depicted in fine detail. Above the dome of the mansion, the traditional Latin phrase E Pluribus Unum is inscribed. Below the building, the inscriptions declare the denomination of Five Cents and the country of origin, the United States of America. Directly above the dome, the prominent S mint mark signifies its origin from the San Francisco coining facility.