History of the Silver War Nickel
Nickel was a critical war metal for armor plating, so from late 1942 through 1945 the five-cent piece was struck in an unusual 35% silver alloy. To mark the change — and allow easy withdrawal later — the Mint placed a huge mint mark above Monticello’s dome, including the first P mint mark ever used on a US coin.
War nickels are the only nickels worth pulling from circulation on sight: each contains 0.0563 troy ounces of silver, giving every example a bullion floor regardless of condition. High-grade examples with Full Steps details and the popular 1943/2 overdate carry collector premiums well beyond melt.
The war nickel was struck from mid-1942 to 1945 in 35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese. Each coin weighs 5.00 grams. Production took place at Philadelphia (P), Denver (D) and San Francisco (S).
How much is a war nickel worth?
Prices for the war nickel move with the collector market and with the price of precious metals. Use the ranges below as a starting point for problem-free examples, not as a guarantee.
For a live market check, recent sold listings beat out-of-date price guides every time. CoinVault Pro combines Numista catalog data with real eBay sold prices for every coin it recognizes, so you can see what buyers are actually paying this month — not what a book claimed years ago.
- Circulated (silver melt floor): $1.50–$2.50
- Uncirculated: $5–$15
- MS-65 with Full Steps: $30–$100
- 1943/2-P overdate, XF+: $100–$500+
How to identify a genuine Silver War Nickel
Authentication starts with the basics: weight, diameter, design details and the way the surfaces look. For the war nickel, check the following:
If anything feels off — the weight is wrong, the details are mushy, or the surfaces look cast rather than struck — get a second opinion before buying or selling. Valuable dates are exactly the coins counterfeiters target most.
- The oversized mint mark (P, D or S) above Monticello is the instant identifier — regular nickels of the era have no P mark and small marks beside the building.
- War nickels often tone a distinctive murky gray from the manganese in the alloy.
- The 1943/2-P overdate shows the remnant of a 2 beneath the 3.
Check your war nickel with CoinVault Pro
Instead of squinting at grainy auction photos, snap a picture with CoinVault Pro. Gemini AI and Coin-CLIP image matching identify the exact type, the app estimates a Sheldon-scale grade from 1 to 70, and you get live values sourced from the Numista catalog and real eBay sold listings.
From there you can add the coin to your collection, track its value over time, put upgrades on your wishlist, or list it on the in-app marketplace with escrow protection. The app is free to download on iOS and Android.