Niewmismatic Error Coins

USA Copper-Silver-Manganese Coin.(Part II)

Rarity:RR


USA.1942.Jefferson Nickel. Copper Silver-Manganese.Obverse. (Dickson Niew Collection)

During the World War II,research chemists at the U.S. Mint began developing a five-cent coinage that would be made without nickel,which was vital to the war effort.Congress of US authorized the Mint to change the alloy of five-cent pieces from 75% copper and 25% nickel to one of 56% copper,35% silver and 9% manganese coinage.
Because the change was made during the 1942 production run, a method to distinguish the new five-cent pieces from old ones had to be devised.
The Mint struck experimental pieces having a reeded edge, but abandoned the idea in favor of oversize mintmarks placed above Monticello's dome. For the first time on U.S. coins, five-cent pieces struck at the Philadelphia Mint were identified by the mintmark "P."
The record coinage of the war years was accompanied by many minting varieties. Among the 271 million five-cent pieces struck at Philadelphia in 1943 was a small quantity of overdates.
The 1943/42-P nickel was created when a die produced from a 1942 hub received an impression from a 1943 hub.
In grade XF-40, the 1943/42-P is valued at USD.110.00 in 1994. Why not take a closer look at that 1943-P nickel in your album? With some luck it could make a nice beginning to a collection of 20th-century overdates.

The 1943/42-P nickel,the only overdate with a P mintmark,was discovered a number of years before it was actually confirmed.It too is a double die.It is easily to identified even on a very worn coin because of the protrusion of the lower front corner of the 2 on the outside lower curve of the 3 and the level base of the 2 inside the loop.A different 1943-P die with a heavy die scratch has been confused with this genuine overdate,which is the correct one.