When Did Nickel Stop Being Silver?

The production of nickels containing silver officially ceased in December 1945, making the 1945 Silver Nickel the last of its kind. While production ended then, these silver-content coins continued to circulate in the United States until the mid-1960s.

The Era of Silver War Nickels

During World War II, a critical shortage of strategic metals, particularly nickel and copper, prompted the U.S. Mint to alter the composition of the five-cent coin. From late 1942 through 1945, the traditional "nickel" coin, which had been 75% copper and 25% nickel, was temporarily redesigned to include silver.

Key Changes During Wartime Production:

• New Composition: The wartime nickels, often referred to as "War Nickels," were made of 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese.
• Purpose: This change conserved nickel and copper for the war effort, redirecting these metals to military production.
• Identification: To distinguish these silver-content coins from their pre-war counterparts, they featured a large mint mark (P, D, or S) prominently placed above Monticello on the reverse side of the coin. This was unique, as traditionally, the Philadelphia Mint (P) did not place a mint mark on its coins, and other mint marks were typically much smaller and located elsewhere.

The Return to Copper-Nickel

Once the war concluded, the need for strategic metal conservation diminished. The U.S. Mint reverted to the original 75% copper and 25% nickel composition for the five-cent coin. This transition marked the official end of silver being incorporated into U.S. nickels.

Timeline of Nickel Composition Changes:

This shift ensured that the 1945 production year marked the final instance of silver content in the common five-cent coin, making these Silver War Nickels a unique piece of American numismatic history.