Is there any war nickel planchets that were found after 1945 ?

mach19 · July 22, 2026 6:46PM

?

oih82w8 · July 22, 2026 6:48PM

@Byers may have some insight.

jonathanb · July 22, 2026 6:52PM

Are there any war nickel planchets? Yes, see Heritage archives.

Were those planchets found after 1945 versus during 1942-1945? Unknown, and probably unknowable at this point.

jmlanzaf · July 22, 2026 7:06PM

@jonathanb said:
Are there any war nickel planchets? Yes, see Heritage archives.

Were those planchets found after 1945 versus during 1942-1945? Unknown, and probably unknowable at this point.

I assume he's talking about off metal strikes in later years.

To the OP: you can google the off-metal strikes.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/errors/1946-5c-jefferson-nickel-struck-on-a-war-nickel-planchet-fine-12-pcgs-from-late-1942-through-1945-nickels-were-struck-on/a/63199-92043.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515

mach19 · July 22, 2026 7:09PM

@jonathanb said:
Are there any war nickel planchets? Yes, see Heritage archives.

Were those planchets found after 1945 versus during 1942-1945? Unknown, and probably unknowable at this point.

How might one find the weight ?

jmlanzaf · July 22, 2026 7:11PM

@mach19 said:

@jonathanb said:
Are there any war nickel planchets? Yes, see Heritage archives.

Were those planchets found after 1945 versus during 1942-1945? Unknown, and probably unknowable at this point.

How might one find the weight ?

Redbook
PCGS Coin Facts
Google

[5.0 grams, if you really can't find it.]

mach19 · July 22, 2026 7:12PM

@jmlanzaf said:

@mach19 said:

@jonathanb said:
Are there any war nickel planchets? Yes, see Heritage archives.

Were those planchets found after 1945 versus during 1942-1945? Unknown, and probably unknowable at this point.

How might one find the weight ?

Redbook
PCGS Coin Facts
Google

[5.0 grams, if you really can't find it.]

TY

mach19 · July 22, 2026 7:18PM

Can anyone tell me a decent coin scale I can purchase for a reasonable price ?

jonathanb · July 22, 2026 7:33PM

@mach19 said:
Can anyone tell me a decent coin scale I can purchase for a reasonable price ?

Amazon has all sorts of choices in the $10-20 range.

You understand that a war nickel has the exact same weight as nickels struck before and after the war? A digital scale will accomplish absolutely nothing when trying to identify a war nickel planchet.

mach19 · July 22, 2026 7:37PM

@jonathanb said:

@mach19 said:
Can anyone tell me a decent coin scale I can purchase for a reasonable price ?

Amazon has all sorts of choices in the $10-20 range.

You understand that a war nickel has the exact same weight as nickels struck before and after the war? A digital scale will accomplish absolutely nothing when trying to identify a war nickel planchet.

Thank you ! I did not realize this

JBK · July 22, 2026 7:55PM

With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

mach19 · July 22, 2026 8:09PM

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

They have a different look , don't know about the smell . I have welded most of my life.... my sense of smell is gone

CaptHenway · July 22, 2026 8:51PM

Do you think that you have a planchet made of wartime composition? If so, take a picture of it next to a normal nickel of a similar condition, new or used. Post it here.

CaptHenway · July 22, 2026 9:12PM

Note that there are other planchets in existence made for foreign coins in all sorts of sizes, both diameter and thickness, in various alloys, some of which darken with age. If yours is not the same basic size as a regular nickel it will need to be weighed and measured.

RedRocket · July 22, 2026 10:26PM

@mach19 said:

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

They have a different look , don't know about the smell . I have welded most of my life.... my sense of smell is gone

It's an overrated sense anyways. You're good.

mach19 · July 22, 2026 10:53PM

@RedRocket said:

@mach19 said:

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

They have a different look , don't know about the smell . I have welded most of my life.... my sense of smell is gone

It's an overrated sense anyways. You're good.

LOL , thank you !

jmlanzaf · July 23, 2026 12:59AM

@CaptHenway said:
Note that there are other planchets in existence made for foreign coins in all sorts of sizes, both diameter and thickness, in various alloys, some of which darken with age. If yours is not the same basic size as a regular nickel it will need to be weighed and measured.

We need a specific gravity.

Old_Collector · July 23, 2026 1:50AM

@mach19 said:
Can anyone tell me a decent coin scale I can purchase for a reasonable price ?

Yeah any of those on EBay that measure to the hundredth of on ounce and has a little metal test weight, otherwise they all seem to perform pretty much equally.

As far as a silver nickel weight, just look up the standard silver nickel weight from 1942 Ty 2 through 1945 on Coin Facts or wherever you normally do, preferably with the expected deviation range.

Old_Collector · July 23, 2026 1:55AM

As far as I can find, there are only 4 nickels that have been struck on original silver nickel planchets and all are dated 1946. There are of course other off metal strikes and the very thin possibility that there is a actual 5 oz wartime planchet that did not get found and is still around, but the odds are long IMO.

The reason that I say four is based upon a statement by Breen that is made in the sale of the Carter Collins F-12 specimen sold by Heritage in 2003 and again in 2022 (same coin). This is the coin most collectors have seen. Heritage notes:

"...Walter Breen reported that at least four authenticated examples were known..."
That statement is repeated in both Heritage appearances.

Beyond that I have no documentation to support the other three, whether lore, or in private collections, Mark would know a lot more about that than me.

johnny9434 · July 23, 2026 2:06AM

@Old_Collector said:

@mach19 said:
Can anyone tell me a decent coin scale I can purchase for a reasonable price ?

Yeah any of those on EBay that measure to the hundredth of on ounce and has a little metal test weight, otherwise they all seem to perform pretty much equally.

As far as a silver nickel weight, just look up the standard silver nickel weight from 1942 Ty 2 through 1945 on Coin Facts or wherever you normally do, preferably with the expected deviation range.

The scales are easy enough to use as well

Old_Collector · July 23, 2026 2:15AM

Here are the two Heritage links:

https://coins.ha.com/itm/jefferson-nickels/1946-5c-struck-on-war-time-silver-planchet-fine-12-pcgs/a/308-6287.s

https://coins.ha.com/itm/errors/1946-5c-jefferson-nickel-struck-on-a-war-nickel-planchet-fine-12-pcgs-from-late-1942-through-1945-nickels-were-stru/a/63199-92043.s

And here is the PCGS cert: https://www.pcgs.com/cert/27861087

BStrauss3 · July 23, 2026 10:45AM

Repeating Walter Breen's comments absent confirmation is questionable.

Heritage references the "August 6, 2002 issue of Numismatic News", which you could probably get an article copy from the ANS.

Re weight ... both the copper-nickel and the silver planchets are the same diameter, thickness, and mass. That was a key condition of the wartime change: that existing coin-operated machines would accept the new coins without adjustment.

This makes it exceptionally difficult to sort large numbers of coins to find an off-metal error.

By the time we look at the SBA -> Golden Dollar change, we also need to mirror the electrical signature as well.

oih82w8 · July 23, 2026 1:18PM

How did this one receive a straight grade with the damage on both the obverse and reverse?

CaptHenway · July 23, 2026 1:27PM

A fair question, but considering the rarity and overall condition of the piece, I suspect that any serious buyer would not care.

Cameonut · July 23, 2026 3:24PM

@jmlanzaf said:

We need a specific gravity.

Or an XRF.

jmlanzaf · July 23, 2026 3:40PM

@Cameonut said:

@jmlanzaf said:

We need a specific gravity.

Or an XRF.

Tom is the world's largest booster of specific gravity.

Old_Collector · July 23, 2026 6:55PM

@BStrauss3 said:
Repeating Walter Breen's comments absent confirmation is questionable.

Heritage references the "August 6, 2002 issue of Numismatic News", which you could probably get an article copy from the ANS.

Re weight ... both the copper-nickel and the silver planchets are the same diameter, thickness, and mass. That was a key condition of the wartime change: that existing coin-operated machines would accept the new coins without adjustment.

This makes it exceptionally difficult to sort large numbers of coins to find an off-metal error.

By the time we look at the SBA -> Golden Dollar change, we also need to mirror the electrical signature as well.

Don't look at me, I didn't post the original material.

But imagine if we only had a technology that could detect silver in a coin by poin> @jmlanzaf said:

@Cameonut said:

@jmlanzaf said:

We need a specific gravity.

Or an XRF.

Tom is the world's largest booster of specific gravity.

That would not be a necessary test in this case, I assume that you were just inflating your post count.

Steven59 · July 23, 2026 7:21PM

Well war nickel planchets "found" compared to "struck"?

mach19 · July 23, 2026 7:38PM

@Steven59 said:
Well war nickel planchets "found" compared to "struck"?

Really ? What do you think !

jmlanzaf · July 24, 2026 1:45AM

@Old_Collector said:

@BStrauss3 said:
Repeating Walter Breen's comments absent confirmation is questionable.

Heritage references the "August 6, 2002 issue of Numismatic News", which you could probably get an article copy from the ANS.

Re weight ... both the copper-nickel and the silver planchets are the same diameter, thickness, and mass. That was a key condition of the wartime change: that existing coin-operated machines would accept the new coins without adjustment.

This makes it exceptionally difficult to sort large numbers of coins to find an off-metal error.

By the time we look at the SBA -> Golden Dollar change, we also need to mirror the electrical signature as well.

Don't look at me, I didn't post the original material.

But imagine if we only had a technology that could detect silver in a coin by poin> @jmlanzaf said:

@Cameonut said:

@jmlanzaf said:

We need a specific gravity.

Or an XRF.

Tom is the world's largest booster of specific gravity.

That would not be a necessary test in this case, I assume that you were just inflating your post count.

I was just making a joke. As I suspect Tom knows.

I might be the only one who pays no attention to my post count.

jmlanzaf · July 24, 2026 1:49AM

@mach19 said:

@Steven59 said:
Well war nickel planchets "found" compared to "struck"?

Really ? What do you think !

Obviously, it confused a couple people.

It is technically incorrect. We don't call struck "coins" "planchets".

BillJones · July 24, 2026 3:31AM

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

Are you a dog? I’ve been a collector for 66 years and have never been able to use my nose for metal detection. Many years ago I was trying to determine if a Civil War token was made of copper/bronze or the much rarer brass. It had a yellow, brassy look. With CWTs, the difference is sometimes hard to detect. A well known New England exonumia dealer said the brass one could smell like fish.

JBK · July 24, 2026 3:51AM

@BillJones said:

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

Are you a dog? I’ve been a collector for 66 years and have never been able to use my nose for metal detection. Many years ago I was trying to determine if a Civil War token was made of copper/bronze or the much rarer brass. It had a yellow, brassy look. With CWTs, the difference is sometimes hard to detect. A well known New England exonumia dealer said the brass one could smell like fish.

I'm not sure it's the metal that smells so much as the stuff that it collects or "grows" during circulation. War nickels found in roll searching have a particular knack for taking on something or another.

And I'm pretty sure a handful of circulated 90% silver has a smell different than clad.

Let's not even get into taste. 🍴 😆

johnny9434 · July 24, 2026 3:59AM

@JBK said:

@BillJones said:

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

Are you a dog? I’ve been a collector for 66 years and have never been able to use my nose for metal detection. Many years ago I was trying to determine if a Civil War token was made of copper/bronze or the much rarer brass. It had a yellow, brassy look. With CWTs, the difference is sometimes hard to detect. A well known New England exonumia dealer said the brass one could smell like fish.

I'm not sure it's the metal that smells so much as the stuff that it collects or "grows" during circulation. War nickels found in roll searching have a particular knack for taking on something or another.

And I'm pretty sure a handful of circulated 90% silver has a smell different than clad.

Let's not even get into taste. 🍴 😆

Heard it taste like chicken 👎

MFeld · July 24, 2026 5:17AM

@BillJones said:

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

Are you a dog? I’ve been a collector for 66 years and have never been able to use my nose for metal detection. Many years ago I was trying to determine if a Civil War token was made of copper/bronze or the much rarer brass. It had a yellow, brassy look. With CWTs, the difference is sometimes hard to detect. A well known New England exonumia dealer said the brass one could smell like fish.

Bill, are you sure that the dealer said “the brass one could smell like fish” as opposed to “ the bass one could smell like fish”? 😉

MFeld · July 24, 2026 5:24AM

@CaptHenway said:
A fair question, but considering the rarity and overall condition of the piece, I suspect that any serious buyer would not care.

I think a quite a few serious buyers would care - and I sure hope they would. Because if the market gives coins like that (which don’t appear to have received a straight grade) a pass, it could encourage more misgrading.

davewesen · July 24, 2026 6:23AM

@mach19 said:

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

They have a different look , don't know about the smell . I have welded most of my life.... my sense of smell is gone

You might have a counterfeit. Henning counterfeits demand a decent price.

Byers · July 24, 2026 6:28AM

@oih82w8 said:
@Byers may have some insight.

My records indicate (2) certified ones dated 1946, and (2) “reported” but not certified, so as far as I am concerned there are 2 known.

leothelyon · July 24, 2026 9:13AM

Here are two coins that went under an XRF analyzer. The unusual sharp details, silver being softer than nickel led me to have them tested. And the 2nd coin is so proof-like, was it struck on a planchet made for striking proof coins? That would be from 1942, right?

Leo

Old_Collector · July 24, 2026 11:02AM

@JBK said:

@BillJones said:

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

Are you a dog? I’ve been a collector for 66 years and have never been able to use my nose for metal detection. Many years ago I was trying to determine if a Civil War token was made of copper/bronze or the much rarer brass. It had a yellow, brassy look. With CWTs, the difference is sometimes hard to detect. A well known New England exonumia dealer said the brass one could smell like fish.

I'm not sure it's the metal that smells so much as the stuff that it collects or "grows" during circulation. War nickels found in roll searching have a particular knack for taking on something or another.

And I'm pretty sure a handful of circulated 90% silver has a smell different than clad.

Let's not even get into taste. 🍴 😆

That makes sense, we put a silver impregnated disk around central venous lines and infection rates plummeted once they came into use, silver being bacteriocidal.

jmlanzaf · July 24, 2026 11:04AM

@Old_Collector said:

@JBK said:

@BillJones said:

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

Are you a dog? I’ve been a collector for 66 years and have never been able to use my nose for metal detection. Many years ago I was trying to determine if a Civil War token was made of copper/bronze or the much rarer brass. It had a yellow, brassy look. With CWTs, the difference is sometimes hard to detect. A well known New England exonumia dealer said the brass one could smell like fish.

I'm not sure it's the metal that smells so much as the stuff that it collects or "grows" during circulation. War nickels found in roll searching have a particular knack for taking on something or another.

And I'm pretty sure a handful of circulated 90% silver has a smell different than clad.

Let's not even get into taste. 🍴 😆

That makes sense, we put a silver impregnated disk around central venous lines and infection rates plummeted once they came into use, silver being bacteriocidal.

Wouldn't that be the opposite? The silver coins should lack smell.

RedRocket · July 24, 2026 12:58PM

@jmlanzaf said:

@Old_Collector said:

@JBK said:

@BillJones said:

@JBK said:
With some experience you can pretty reliably tell the difference by appearance, especially with circulated coins. With a lot of experience you might be able to tell the difference on well circulated coins by smell.

Are you a dog? I’ve been a collector for 66 years and have never been able to use my nose for metal detection. Many years ago I was trying to determine if a Civil War token was made of copper/bronze or the much rarer brass. It had a yellow, brassy look. With CWTs, the difference is sometimes hard to detect. A well known New England exonumia dealer said the brass one could smell like fish.

I'm not sure it's the metal that smells so much as the stuff that it collects or "grows" during circulation. War nickels found in roll searching have a particular knack for taking on something or another.

And I'm pretty sure a handful of circulated 90% silver has a smell different than clad.

Let's not even get into taste. 🍴 😆

That makes sense, we put a silver impregnated disk around central venous lines and infection rates plummeted once they came into use, silver being bacteriocidal.

Wouldn't that be the opposite? The silver coins should lack smell.

I thought it was already professionally hashed out and determined the sense of smell is highly overrated?

Creg · July 24, 2026 1:13PM

@JBK said:
I'm not sure it's the metal that smells so much as the stuff that it collects or "grows" during circulation. War nickels found in roll searching have a particular knack for taking on something or another.

Skin oils react with copper and silver (and alloys?), but not gold.

MasonG · July 24, 2026 1:16PM

@jmlanzaf said:
I was just making a joke. As I suspect Tom knows.

I might be the only one who pays no attention to my post count.

You're not. I don't pay attention to it, either.

RedRocket · July 24, 2026 1:18PM

@MasonG said:

@jmlanzaf said:
I was just making a joke. As I suspect Tom knows.

I might be the only one who pays no attention to my post count.

You're not. I don't pay attention to it, either.

Stating you don't means- at least at that moment- you do.

JBK · July 24, 2026 1:35PM

@Creg said:

@JBK said:
I'm not sure it's the metal that smells so much as the stuff that it collects or "grows" during circulation. War nickels found in roll searching have a particular knack for taking on something or another.

Skin oils react with copper and silver (and alloys?), but not gold.

War nickels also have some other metals in the alloy that are highly reactive. A circulated war nickel that has spent long periods of time out of circulation (such as most of the ones you'll find in rolls today) can be especially crusty.

MasonG · July 24, 2026 1:36PM

@RedRocket said:

@MasonG said:

@jmlanzaf said:
I was just making a joke. As I suspect Tom knows.

I might be the only one who pays no attention to my post count.

You're not. I don't pay attention to it, either.

Stating you don't means- at least at that moment- you do.

No, it doesn't. Unless I made an effort right now, I couldn't tell you if anyone here has made 10 posts or 10 million. I don't even have a clue how many I've made.

Don't get me wrong- if anyone wants to focus on post counts, that's up to them. I don't care either way.

CaptHenway · July 24, 2026 1:40PM

@leothelyon said:
Here are two coins that went under an XRF analyzer. The unusual sharp details, silver being softer than nickel led me to have them tested. And the 2nd coin is so proof-like, was it struck on a planchet made for striking proof coins? That would be from 1942, right?

Leo

They were not making Proof coins at San Francisco in the 1940's.

RedRocket · July 24, 2026 1:52PM

@MasonG said:

@RedRocket said:

@MasonG said:

@jmlanzaf said:
I was just making a joke. As I suspect Tom knows.

I might be the only one who pays no attention to my post count.

You're not. I don't pay attention to it, either.

Stating you don't means- at least at that moment- you do.

No, it doesn't. Unless I made an effort right now, I couldn't tell you if anyone here has made 10 posts or 10 million. I don't even have a clue how many I've made.

7,226 (in case you were/are curious.)

jmlanzaf · July 24, 2026 2:18PM

@RedRocket said:

@MasonG said:

@RedRocket said:

@MasonG said:

@jmlanzaf said:
I was just making a joke. As I suspect Tom knows.

I might be the only one who pays no attention to my post count.

You're not. I don't pay attention to it, either.

Stating you don't means- at least at that moment- you do.

No, it doesn't. Unless I made an effort right now, I couldn't tell you if anyone here has made 10 posts or 10 million. I don't even have a clue how many I've made.

7,226 (in case you were/are curious.)

He's winning! You're only at 1,638.

Please up your game.

RedRocket · July 24, 2026 4:03PM

I'm a grower, not a shower.

Is there any war nickel planchets that were found after 1945 ?

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