1942 Jefferson Nickel Value: What Is It Worth in 2026?
Common date: worn examples are worth about five cents. Keep it, or set it aside until you have a roll of old nickels to sell in one lot.
Value by condition
| Good (G-4, heavily worn) | $0.18 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $0.30 |
| Fine (F-12) | $0.49 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $0.86 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $2.50 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $3.62 |
| Mint State (MS-63, uncirculated) | $19 |
The copper-nickel (Type 1) 1942 Philadelphia nickel, struck before the alloy change. If your 1942 has NO large mint mark above Monticello on the back, this is your coin. If it has a large P above the dome, see the silver version in the related links.
See the full page for this coin (mintage, how to identify it, where to sell)1942 nickel no mint mark value
If your 1942 nickel has no letter on the back, nothing is missing — it was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which did not mark its nickels that year. Check the reverse: a Denver coin has a small D to the right of Monticello, a San Francisco coin a small S. No letter at all means Philadelphia, and "no mint mark" and "P" are the same coin, so the price table above is exactly the one to use.
In worn condition that puts your coin around $0.18, rising to $19 in uncirculated mint state. The 1942-D and 1942-S versions (with a letter on the back) are different coins — check the related links below if yours has one.
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.