Five Cents · 2006–2026

Jefferson Nickel (Modern Obverse)

A forward-facing portrait of Jefferson looking slightly right, with 'Liberty' in his handwriting and the date and mint mark below. The return of Felix Schlag's original Monticello design, re-engraved with sharper detail than the late 20th-century coins.

Designer

Jamie Franki (obverse, sculpted by Donna Weaver); Felix Schlag (reverse)

Diameter

21.21 mm

Edge

Plain

Mint mark

Obverse (front), below the date

Composition

2006–2026: 75% copper, 25% nickel · 5 g

Did you know? Jefferson is the only person on a circulating US coin shown facing straight out at you — and in 2020 the West Point Mint struck the first W mint mark nickels ever, available only in collector sets.

Beginner tip: Set aside any 2009 nickel you find — the recession cut mintages to the lowest levels since the early 1950s, and uncirculated examples carry a premium.

Key dates to look for

2009-P Modern Jefferson

Face value worn, $1–2 uncirculated

Recession-year mintage of just 39.8 million — a modern low

2009-D Modern Jefferson

Face value worn, $1–2 uncirculated

Only 46.8 million struck

2020-W Modern Jefferson

$15–30

First-ever W mint mark nickels, sold only in Mint sets

Error types found on this series

Machine Doubling

The die bounced or chattered at the moment of striking, smearing a flat shelf-like second edge onto the design.

Grease-Filled Die (Struck Through Grease)

Grease and debris packed into the die's recesses blocked part of the design, leaving weak or missing details.

Off-Center Strike

The blank wasn't centered when struck, so part of the design is missing and part of the coin is blank.

Doubled Die (Obverse)

The front design shows a second, shifted image because the die itself was made doubled.

Die Crack

A crack in the die fills with metal during the strike, leaving a thin raised line on the coin.

Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.

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