1938 d Jefferson Nickel

Monday, June 14th, 2010 at 2:51 pm

The Jefferson nickel is old hat to Americans. Most people underneath the age of 40 have by no means carried another 5-cent piece of their pockets or purses, and few ever pause to examine one before spending it.

That will change in the weeks and months ahead, for the U.S. Mint is giving the coin a makeover.

Nickels dated 2004 will are available in two new varieties, each bearing a special design tied to the bicentennial of the Louisiana Buy and the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The change is means overdue, for the Jefferson nickel has carried the identical designs on each side since 1938 – longer than any other current U.S. coin. The Lincoln cent and Washington quarter are older, however each have undergone main revision alongside the way in which – the cent with the Lincoln Memorial reverse and the quarter with the 50-state reverses. The Jefferson nickel, in contrast, seems to be mainly the identical now because it did when it first appeared more than sixty five years ago.

It’s onerous to imagine as we speak, however at one time the Jefferson nickel was thought-about quite dramatic. It was, in actual fact, part of what amounted to a coinage revolution – one that changed the face of People’ pocket change from allegorical themes to portraits of nationwide leaders. That creative revolution was already under manner with the cent and quarter, but the nickel tilted the stability and all but assured that the change would turn into complete.

Plans for a Jefferson nickel were hatched in 1937 by aides to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR and fellow-Democrats looked upon Thomas Jefferson because the founder of their celebration, and saw this as an opportunity to burnish his picture and that of the social gathering as well. It seemed logical, too, as a follow-up to the presidential portraits on the cent and quarter, each of which loved broad popularity.

Under federal regulation, coin designs couldn’t be modified till not less than 25 years had elapsed since their introduction. Congressional approval was needed previous to that. Of the three remaining common-difficulty cash (other than the cent and quarter), solely the Buffalo nickel glad this requirement – after which just barely. Having made its debut in 1913, it was eligible for replacement in 1938. The “Mercury” dime and Walking Liberty half dollar both have been launched in 1916 and thus hadn’t reached the minimum retirement age.

The Buffalo nickel was – and nonetheless is – an enormously widespread coin, viewed with affection by millions of People for its naturalistic beauty and its simple but powerful themes. From a technical standpoint, although, the coin had been a headache for the government right from the very beginning. Sure parts of the coin – notably the date – have been high and uncovered to wear, and by the Nineteen Thirties dateless Buffalo nickels were becoming a real concern for the U.S. Mint.

All five coins being issued at that time were the work of outside artists, reasonably than members of the Mint’s engraving employees, and three of them have been merchandise of design competitions. The U.S. Treasury decided to look exterior again by holding a public contest “open to all American sculptors.” The winner would obtain $1,000 – not a princely sum even then, but sufficient to get artists’ consideration at a time when the results of the Depression were still being keenly felt.

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