2005-S Nickel Jefferson NGC PF-69 ULTRA CAMEO

In 1938 the nickel was redesigned. Entering a competition with 390 artists, Felix Schlag captured an award of $1,000 for his motif picturing Thomas Jefferson on the obverse and a corner view of Jefferson’s home, Monticello, on the reverse. In the final production design, the profile of Monticello was changed to a front view. The finished product depicted a head and shoulders portrait of Jefferson facing left, with IN GOD WE TRUST to the left and LIBERTY and the date to the right. The reverse depicted Monticello at the center, E PLURIBUS UNUM above and the inscriptions of MONTICELLO, FIVE CENTS and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA below. The type remained the same from 1938 to 2004 at which time the “Westward Journey” Nickel program was initiated. These pieces featured both revised obverse portraits of Jefferson, as well as reverses to mark the theme of Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the Louisiana Purchase territory. -Q. David Bowers