Why is the letter “P” on the reverse of the 1943 nickel?
War needs during WWII mandated several changes in U.S. coinage from 1941 to 1945. Aside from the well-known 1943 steel cent, the U.S. nickel also did its part in the war effort. From 1942 through 1945, the composition of the coin was changed to what is known as the “wartime alloy” of 56 percent copper, 35 percent silver, and 9 percent manganese to allow the government to use nickel as a strategic material. The mintmark on the previous five cent issue was located on the reverse to the right of the building. In 1942, the large mintmark was placed over the dome of Monticello to denote the change in composition. The letter P (Philadelphia) was also used for the first time as a mintmark. The prewar mintmark, location and composition were resumed in 1946.
