WOOOO HOOOO!!! Silver!!!!!!!.........

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

After we got groceries today I checked the coin star machine as I walked past it and seen two coins. One crusty penny, and a 1943 P silver war nickel!
If I can't go swingin, I might as well get silver where I can!

 

[Pete in MI]

Congrats Mike on the silver...I have yet to find a war nickel. I did have an eyeball find of 2 pennies in parking lots today out in Cadillac. There was a third under some ice and after kicking the ice til I could finally get to it, it turned out to be a piece of flattened gum. Guess I will have to pay more attention to the coinstar machines.

 

[steve in so la]

I check them also but have yet to find anything. Steve in so az

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

many coins over the years. One day my son got $4.80 that was left behind! Almost all Canadian!

 

[Magyar]

I'm not sure of what nickel dates to save...I have many nickels ;I save all the 1940's...could you kindly tell me which dates are the "war nickel " dates?
and are they the same silver content as the pre-1965 "roosies"? thank you, Mike

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

1942 - 1945 That is why they call them war nickels. They are 35% silver. They will all have a P, D, oe S mint mark. The 1942 plain or D mint mark are not silver though.

 

[Magyar]

Thank you, Mike ; I''ll check them nickels out

 

[Mike Chgo area]

Wally showing me some cream stuff for cleaning silver. I got a nickel out of his coin jar and started cleaning it. Turned out to be War nickel. Who would have guessed.

 

[Greg from Mi.]

after you told me about this a few years ago I check them each time I'm at the store. Must be you were there before me as I have never found coin one there.
Judy on the other hand found a dollar bill last time we were at the store
Greg

 

[AllenOK]

To denote the change in composition, the Treasury Department moved the mint mark and changed the size. Instead of being just to the right of Monticello on the reverse, the mint mark was enlarged and moved above the dome of Monticello. So, if you look at the reverse of a Nickel, and see a honkin' big mint mark above the dome, you have a War Nickel.

I can usually spot them without having to look at the mint mark. War Nickels that have been exposed to air for a couple years tend to oxidize to a funky dark color (similar to a regular nickel that's been in the ground for awhile). War Nickels fresh out of the dirt are actually a nice silvery color, just like silver dimes and quarters. I found a War Nickel in the water once, and it had tarnished just like a silver quarter that came out of the same swimming hole.

HH from Allen in OK