What a Wartime Jefferson Nickel (35% silver) is worth in silver at today's spot price, how much silver it contains, and the official specs behind the number.
Melt value now
$3.24 per coin
Silver spot $57.64/troy oz as of Oct 19, 2026, 1:06 AM PT × 0.0563 troy oz of fine silver. Spot fetched when this page was built.
| Quantity | Fine silver | Melt |
|---|---|---|
| 1 coin | 0.0563 oz | $3.24 |
| roll of 40 (40 coins) | 2.2506 oz | $130 |
| $1 face value (20 coins) | 1.1253 oz | $64.86 |
Melt is the metal only. It ignores collector (numismatic) value, which can be far higher for scarce dates, high grades or certified coins. It's also not what you'll be paid: dealers usually buy below melt to cover refining and their margin, and sell above it. Use melt as a floor-of-metal reference, not a price.
Different weight or a partial lot? Use the melt calculator.
Specs
| Years | 1942–1945 |
|---|---|
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese |
| Fineness | .350 |
| Gross weight | 5.000 g (0.1608 troy oz) |
| Fine silver content | 0.0563 troy oz (1.750 g) |
To save nickel for the war effort, nickels from 1942 to 1945 were made with silver and manganese instead. Look for the large mint mark above Monticello's dome; these were the first US coins to carry a P for Philadelphia.
Our source for the 56/35/9 alloy is the National WWII Museum; the US Mint's page confirms the wartime change and the large mint mark but doesn't list the percentages. The 5.00 g weight is the standard nickel weight.
Sources:
In a sale now
None of our current picks is a Wartime Jefferson Nickel (35% silver). State unclaimed-property sales often include coins like this. See every sale open now or get an alert when a new sale opens.
FAQ
0.0563 troy ounces of pure silver (1.750 g), in a coin that weighs 5.000 g in total. That figure comes from the official specification cited on this page, not from weighing a coin.
Multiply its fine silver content (0.0563 troy oz) by the silver spot price per troy ounce. At $57.64/oz that comes to $3.24 per coin. For several coins, multiply by the count.
Usually not quite. Dealers typically pay somewhat below melt for common bullion and junk silver to cover refining, shipping and their margin. Coins with collector value can sell well above melt, so check a coin's date, mint mark and condition before selling it as metal.
Circulated silver coins lose a little metal to wear, so a worn coin can hold slightly less than the mint specification. That's one reason circulated silver coins are often quoted per $1 of face value rather than per coin.
Keep reading
Morgan Silver Dollar · Peace Silver Dollar · Barber Dime · Mercury Dime (Winged Liberty) · Roosevelt Dime (1946–1964, 90% silver) · Barber Quarter · Washington Quarter (1932–1964, 90% silver) · Barber Half Dollar
All coin melt values and the calculator · How we estimate melt
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