In 1942, two types of proof Jefferson Nickels were minted. The first type was the traditional 75% copper-25% nickel alloy used to make nickels for many years. With the outbreak of World War II, nickel was a vital resource for the war effort so much so that the Mint changed the composition of the nickel to 56% copper-35% silver-9% manganese during 1942 and the so-called silver "war nickel" was born. 1942 was the only time that War Nickels were available in proof finish and not very many were made. Only 27,600 Type 2 proof nickels were minted in 1942 with the wartime silver alloy. This example of the 1942-P Proof Jefferson War Nickel has been graded PR65CAM by PCGS and is encapsulated in one of the newer-style edge-view holders. The coin was also professionally imaged by PCGS for their CoinFacts service. Despite the low mintage, high grade proof war nickels are not rare as many were saved and proofs of any type rarely circulate. However, finding an example in any grade with strong cameo contrast is extremely difficult. To date, over 5000 proof war nickels have been graded by PCGS; of those, only thirteen (13) examples have received the cameo designation, including the coin offered here. The coin has wonderful overall eye appeal and is free of toning. The coin has just a few light marks, but nothing significant or distracting and the coin appears to be quite strong for the assigned grade. An amazing example of the type with unusually strong cameo contrast.
Because of the difficulty in capturing the overall look of the coin in a single image, I have also included a short high-definition video of the coin towards the bottom of this listing in an attempt to give you a better idea of what this coin will look like in hand. Please note that you may need to adjust the video quality to 1080p and may need to increase the size of the video to full screen in order to see the coin in maximum detail.
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