The only overdate in the entire Jefferson nickel series: a 1942-dated die was reworked into 1943, leaving traces of the underlying 2 beneath the 3 — on a wartime 35% silver planchet.
What it is
The 1943/2-P is an overdate variety of the 1943-P Jefferson nickel, listed in the Cherrypickers’ Guide as FS-101 and in the VarietyVista attribution system as DDO-003. It is the only overdate in the Jefferson Nickel series, which makes it one of the most sought-after varieties among series collectors (Coins Value). It occurred when the Mint reused a 1942-dated die by altering the final “2” to a “3,” leaving traces of the underlying digit visible (Coins Value).
All 1943-P nickels are wartime issues struck in 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese, with the large P mintmark placed above Monticello on the reverse to designate the silver content (Greysheet).
How it happens at the Mint
Overdates like this one are die varieties created during die preparation — the 1942 obverse die was re-punched or re-engraved with a 1943 date rather than discarded. This is the same class of mistake as the famous 1942/1 Mercury dimes: as PCGS explains, once the date moved to the master die (starting in 1909), true repunched-date overdates were considered die-design errors caused by human error rather than economy (PCGS). The same die also carries doubled-die obverse doubling — doubling is visible on “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “LIBERTY,” and the star on Jefferson’s shoulder (Coins Value).
Diagnostics: how to identify it
Under magnification, check the date (Coins Value; Antiques Know How):
- The primary diagnostic is a clear remnant of the digit “2” visible beneath the “3” in the date — look inside and below the curves of the 3 (Coins Value).
- Secondary diagnostics include doubling visible on “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “LIBERTY,” and the star (Coins Value).
- Confirm the reverse: a large P mintmark above Monticello marks the wartime silver composition (Greysheet).
The overdate is distinct from the separate 1943-P “Double Eye” doubled-die variety, which shows a second eye impression on Jefferson’s face and date/letter doubling (CoinStudy).
Real error vs. post-mint damage
This is a die variety, not a striking error or post-mint alteration: the overdate was made in the die itself, so every coin struck from that die shows the same underlying-2 remnant. It should not be confused with machine doubling, which leaves a flat, shelf-like secondary image on individual coins and carries no premium. Genuine examples carry third-party attribution (FS-101 on the holder) from PCGS or NGC; because the variety is valuable, circulated examples that look “close” under poor lighting should be verified against published diagnostics before any purchase.
Notable examples
The all-time auction record for any 1943 Jefferson nickel belongs to a PCGS MS-67 Full Steps example of the 1943/2-P that sold for $16,675 at Heritage Auctions in June 2008 (Coins Value). Recent Heritage auction results for the variety include: a PCGS AU55 at $171 (June 2026), a PCGS MS63 Full Steps with CAC at $732 (April 2026), an NGC XF45 at $109 (January 2026), a PCGS MS62 Full Steps at $372 (May 2025), and an ANACS AU53 at $114 (February 2024) (Greysheet).
Value drivers
Grade drives value enormously here: circulated examples trade in the low hundreds or less, while Mint State examples climb steeply, and the Full Steps (FS) designation — clearly defined steps on Monticello — commands a major premium (Greysheet). Per Greysheet’s published records, recent realizations ranged from about $109–$171 in circulated grades to $372–$732 in Mint State, with the Full Steps MS63 CAC at $732 and a record MS-67 Full Steps at $16,675 (Greysheet; Coins Value). Attribution on the holder (FS-101) is essential — an unattributed example sells for ordinary war-nickel money. The coin’s 35% silver content (0.0563 oz) provides a small melt floor (Greysheet).
Market check
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Specifications and sources
- Denomination: 5 cents — Jefferson nickel, designed by Felix Schlag (Greysheet)
- Composition: 35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese; weight 5 g; diameter 21.2 mm; silver content 0.0563 oz (Greysheet)
- 1943-P mintage: 271,165,000 (variety mintage unknown) (Greysheet)
- Listings: Cherrypickers’ FS-101; VarietyVista DDO-003; PCGS Coin No. 38499/38500 (Coins Value; Greysheet)
- Sources: Greysheet variety pages and auction-price records (Heritage results); Coins Value 1943 nickel guide; PCGS “Errors & Varieties: An Introduction”; CoinStudy 1943 nickel guide; Antiques Know How 1943 Jefferson nickel guide.
