Jefferson Nickel, Monticello Reverse Resumed (2006-Present)

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
 

The Jefferson Nickel entered into production in 1938, marking the third time that a circulating United States coin would bear the likeness of a former President. The first to be so honored was Abraham Lincoln. The Great Emancipator got his coin issued in 1909, to coincide with the centennial anniversary of his birth. George Washington followed in 1932.

Slight modifications were made to the design in the coin’s first few years of production. Starting in 1942, the Mint was forced to use a billon-silver alloy to preserve nickel for use in the war effort. In 1946, the coin reverted to its original composition and continued to be produced without any major design changes through 1964.

From 1965 to 1967, the United States Mint phased out the production of silver coinage and discontinued the use of mintmarks. In 1968, the Mint’s situation stabilized and mintmarks returned. For the nickel, the mintmark was moved from the far-right edge of the building on the reverse to below the date on the obverse. From here, the nickel design continued more or less unchanged until the mid-1980s, when a series of modifications were made to “improve” the look of the coin.

In 2004 and 2005, Congress authorized the production of a four-coin series to honor the legacy of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery Expedition of 1804-1806. For the 1804 coins, Felix Schlag’s Jefferson Nickel obverse design took its final bow and was paired with two new reverses emblematic of Lewis and Clark’s Westward Journey. For the 2005 issues, a new obverse was introduced. Like Schlag’s design, the 2005 obverse was also based on the Houdon bust but depicts Jefferson’s profile in a radical close-up.

Starting in 2006, we see the introduction of a new Jefferson Nickel type. This one pairs a forward-facing portrait of the President with a “high-definition” update of Schlag’s Monticello reverse.

Production during this time is carried out by the Philadelphia and Denver mints for circulation and the San Francisco Mint for Proofs. In 2020, the United States Mint struck Proof and Reverse Proof versions of the Jefferson Nickel at the West Point Mint.

Jefferson Nickel, Monticello Reverse Resumed Design

Obverse:

The obverse displays a forward-facing portrait of Jefferson, who wears a coat and his natural hair. On some portraits of the third President, Jefferson is depicted wearing a periwig – but not here. Inside a flat rim is the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, which wraps around the inside of the rim in the upper right. The word LIBERTY is inscribed in Jefferson’s handwriting and appears in the lower right field above the date and mintmark. This, the third Jefferson portrait to appear on the nickel, was designed by Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) artist James Franki and sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist Donna Weaver. Franki’s initials appear at the top of Jefferson’s right lapel. Weaver’s initials appear on Jefferson’s jacket just above the rim at 6 o’clock.

Reverse:

The reverse displays an elevation view of the front of Monticello, with MONTICELLO labeled below. Around the smooth rim are the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM at the top and the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA at the bottom; FIVE CENTS in smaller letters forms a concentric arc above STATES OF and below MONTICELLO. Felix Schlag created this iconic design in 1938 after making a series of modifications to his original reverse. For nickels struck starting in 2006, Schlag’s design was strengthened to make key details clearer.

Edge:

The edge of the Monticello Reverse Resumed Jefferson Nickel is plain or smooth.

Designer

Felix Schlag was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1891. After receiving an education at the Munich University of Fine Arts, he moved to the United States in 1929. Schlag died in 1974. Yet while he did win numerous art contests and commissions throughout much of the remainder of his life, the Jefferson Nickel was his only coin design.

Donna Weaver sculpted toys for Kenner and Hasbro before joining the Mint as a sculptor-engraver in 2000. She retired in 2006 but has continued to produce designs for coins and medals.

Coin Specifications

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