1944-P 5C

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Sold on Aug 8, 2001 for:

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Description

Error 1944-P Jefferson Nickel Struck on a Copper-Nickel Planchet

1944-P 5C --Struck on a Copper-Nickel Planchet--VF30 NGC. This lot offers an intriguing and possibly unique 1944-P Jefferson nickel struck on a pre-war copper-nickel planchet. In 1942, the Mint withdrew nickel, an important metal for the production of armaments, from the five cent coin, replacing it with an alloy of copper, silver, and manganese. This alloy remained in use through 1945. Sometime in 1944, however, a pre-war copper-nickel planchet found its way into one of the nickel presses at the Philadelphia Mint, producing the present error. The 2001 Guide Book lists a 1944 nickel without a mintmark as a counterfeit. The coin that we are offering here does, however, display the large P-mintmark on the reverse above Monticello, and it was definitely struck from genuine dies. It is interesting to note that this coin circulated for some time before it was recognized as the rarity that it is. Both sides are tinged in olive-gold iridescence with even overall wear. A few small abrasions on seen near the right reverse border, but the surfaces are remarkably smooth for a coin that saw this extensive circulation.
The importance of the present error stems, at least in part, from its close association with the 1943 copper and 1944 steel cents. These issues are perhaps the two most famous off-metal errors in U.S. numismatics. It is easy for us to imagine how a few copper planchets found their way into the cent presses in early 1943, and also how a few steel planchets did likewise in 1944. Since the Mint last used copper-nickel planchets for nickel production in 1942, it is more difficult for us to understand how one of these planchets found its way into a coinage press in 1944. For the same reason, we also suspect that this error may be unique, or at least rarer than the 1943 copper and 1944 steel Cents.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 22TU, PCGS# 4022, Greysheet# 3255)

Weight: 5.00 grams

Metal: 56% Copper, 35% Silver, 9% Manganese

View Certification Details from NGC