Silver · US 35%
Nickels minted from late 1942 through 1945 contain 35% silver, giving 0.05626 troy ounces of pure silver each — the only US nickels with any silver at all.
| Quantity | Melt value |
|---|---|
| 1 | — |
| 5 | — |
| 10 | — |
| 20 | — |
| 100 | — |
Live spot via gold-api.com. Melt value = spot × 0.05626 troy oz of fine metal.
Open the full calculator →To save nickel for the war effort, the US Mint switched the five-cent piece to a silver alloy in late 1942. These 'war nickels' are 35% silver, 56% copper and 9% manganese, and weigh 5 grams — 0.05626 troy ounces of pure silver each.
They are the only nickels the US ever struck with silver. Although the silver content is modest, it is still worth several times the coin's 5-cent face value.
| Series | Jefferson 'War Nickel' |
| Years | 1942 (mid-year)–1945 |
| Composition | 35% silver · 56% copper · 9% manganese |
| Gross weight | 5.0 g |
| Pure silver | 0.05626 troy oz |
| Distinguishing mark | Large mint mark above Monticello |
Melt value is the value of the metal in the coin, ignoring any collector premium:
Where the fine-metal content is known, this simplifies to spot × 0.05626 oz. The live figure at the top of this page applies that formula to the current spot price.
Illustrative melt values (per coin) at example spot prices — shown for reference only; the live figure above uses the real market price:
| Example spot | Melt value |
|---|---|
| $25.00 | $1.41 |
| $35.00 | $1.97 |
| $50.00 | $2.81 |
Only Jefferson nickels minted from mid-1942 through 1945 contain silver. They are 35% silver and carry a large mint mark above Monticello on the reverse.
A war nickel contains 0.05626 troy ounces of pure silver. It weighs 5 g and is 35% silver by weight.
Check for a large mint mark ('P', 'D' or 'S') positioned above the dome of Monticello. Nickels without that mark have no silver.
Yes. Their silver melt value (spot × 0.05626) is several times the 5-cent face value, though it is smaller than a silver dime's.
This page values one coin. The Silver Stacking Spreadsheet keeps the whole record — every coin, what you paid, and your running profit or loss, auto-calculated from the spot price you enter.