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$3.65
Jefferson nickels struck from mid-1942 through 1945 contain 35% silver — nickel was diverted to the war effort, so the mint substituted silver and manganese.
Prices last updated
| Total weight | 5 g |
|---|---|
| Fineness | .350 (35%) |
| Pure silver content | 1.750 g (0.0563 ozt) |
| Years struck | 1942–1945 |
| Country | United States |
| Face value | 5¢ |
War nickels are identified by a large mintmark (P, D or S) above Monticello on the reverse — the only US coins to carry a P mintmark before 1979, and the only Jefferson nickels with a mintmark on that side at all. Every other Jefferson nickel, before or after, contains no silver. They are easy to spot once you know where to look and are routinely missed in inherited collections.
Its melt value is about $3.65, based on 0.0563 troy ounces (1.750 g) of pure silver at a spot price of $64.83 per troy ounce. That is the metal content only — the coin may be worth considerably more to a collector.
The coin weighs 5 g in total and is 35% fine (.350), so it contains 1.750 g of pure silver — 0.0563 troy ounces.
Not exactly. Melt value is the raw metal content at spot. Scrap buyers and refiners typically pay 80–95% of melt to cover refining and margin, while recognised bullion coins and collectable dates usually sell for more than melt, not less. Melt is best treated as the floor under a coin’s price.