1942–1945-PDS Silver Nickel & Steel Cent WWII Mint Mark 6-pc Set

Coins That Helped Win World War II

World War II impacted many areas of American life, and coinage was no exception. Normally, all nickels are composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel, but there was a pressing need for industrial metals, so the mint changed the composition to 35% silver. Similarly, pennies of this time were struck in steel. In this set, you will receive three nickels struck in 35% silver and three cents struck in steel from this chapter of American history—one of each from the three United States Mints in operation at that time: Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco, dated between 1942 and 1945.

Patriotic First—And Only—Silver Nickels

Though the coin gets its name from its traditional metal contents, these coins contained no actual nickel. Instead, these coins were struck for the very first time in 35% fine silver since the color was right and the metal was less valuable to the war effort. This marks the only time silver was part of the nickel’s composition! Nickel, on the other hand, was a valuable component in guns, tanks, and airplanes and so hoarding the metal to strike coins would have been an incredibly unpatriotic, and potentially dangerous, thing for the United States Mint to do! But the mint stepped up and donated its nickel supply, helping win the war and giving us a unique variety of Jefferson Nickel. Another intriguing aspect of this coin is that in order to identify the silver nickels from regular nickel-struck nickels, the U.S. Mint included a prominent distinguishing feature in the form of very large mintmarks above the dome of Monticello on the reverse, “D” for Denver, “S” for San Francisco, and “P” for Philadelphia. This also represented the very first time the letter “P” was used as a mintmark on a U.S. coin!

The Lincoln Cent Goes To War!

When World War II broke out, Uncle Sam called on every American to make sacrifices for the war effort—and the U.S. Mint answered! In 1943, copper was desperately needed to support our troops fighting overseas. The metal was used for everything from communications equipment to ammunition. And so, the U.S. Mint gave up its supply, and for one year only struck the nation’s Lincoln Cents in zinc-coated steel. These coins were the workhorse coins of World War II and were used every day in transactions ranging from buying a drink at the soda fountain to taking a break and heading to a movie double feature. Placed in circulation during the height of the Second World War, they were symbols of America’s determination to achieve final victory. These are truly historic coins that tell an incredible story.

These coins are a must-have for any American or World War II collection! Get your 1942–1945-PDS Silver Nickel & Steel Cent WWII Mint Mark Six-Piece Set now before our limited supply runs out!