1942-D Jefferson Nickel Value: What Is It Worth in 2026?
Mintage: ~13.9 million struck
Estimated value · Source: USACoinBook price guide (updated Feb 2026)
1942 D Jefferson Nickel
Mint: Denver (D)
Worth selling
Worth selling individually: list it on eBay or offer it to a local coin dealer. Grading fees would eat the profit, so sell it as-is.
Value by condition
| Good (G-4, heavily worn) | $1.24 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $1.56 |
| Fine (F-12) | $1.88 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $3.62 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $6.25 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $10 |
| Mint State (MS-63, uncirculated) | $73 |
Denver struck only copper-nickel nickels in 1942 (the silver alloy came to Denver in 1943). A lower-mintage year worth a premium from Fine upward.
See the full page for this coin (mintage, how to identify it, where to sell)How to confirm it's genuine
- The mint mark is on the reverse, to the right of Monticello — a small D or S. No letter means Philadelphia. A magnifier with light at a 45° angle works best.
- 1942 has two kinds of nickel: if there is a LARGE letter above Monticello's dome, yours is the silver version — see the related links below.
- Never clean the coin: cleaning destroys the original surface and can cut the value in half.
- For any coin worth more than $200, PCGS/NGC grading fees (~$20–50) are money well spent.
Where to sell this coin
- eBay works best in the $1.00–$200 range. Take clear photos of both sides in natural light, and put the year, mint mark, and approximate grade in the title.
- A local coin dealer is the fastest way to cash out, but expect 60–70% of guide prices. Best for selling common dates in bulk.
- Graded high-value coins do best at auction houses like Heritage Auctions or Stack's Bowers, where realized prices are public.