Jefferson (1938 - Date)

The Jefferson Nickel has been the longest running series for the five cent denomination. Featuring a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States, the design was introduced in 1938. During its long history, the Jefferson Nickel has undergone a temporary composition change (1942-1945) and in recent years, a number of obverse and reverse design changes.

A series of design changes took place from 2004 to 2006 to commemorate the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark\'s expedition. Over the course of three years, the Westward Journey Nickels featured four different reverse designs before reverting to the original image of Monticello. The obverse featured two new portraits of Jefferson, with the second serving as the replacement going forward.