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On January 12, 2006,
the United States Mint
launched into circulation the new
Jefferson nickel .
The 2006 Jefferson nickel is the first circulating US coin to feature
the likeness of a President facing forward. The Nation's coinage has
shown only profiled views of presidents since the introduction of the
Lincoln cent in 1909.
The Mint has named the new Jefferson nickel "Return to Monticello"
because of the reappearance of Thomas Jefferson's dignified home to the
reverse side of the coin for the first time since 2003. The latest
Monticello has slight enhancements to the classic version minted
1938-2003.
The new Jefferson nickel is the final stage of the Mint's Westward
Journey Nickel Series that celebrated the bicentennials of two major
accomplishments of the Jefferson Administration. "This nickel features
a forward-looking President Jefferson who recognized that the Louisiana
Purchase and Lewis and Clark expedition would expand our horizons in
numerous ways" commented Acting Mint Director David Lebryk. "This is a
hopeful, positive image, emblematic of a bright future for our Nation."
The new obverse image of Jefferson is based on a famous Rembrandt Peale
portrait of the future president painted in 1800. The word "Liberty",
in Jefferson's own handwriting, is inscribed above the date. There are
no plans in the works for a future redesign of the coin, so the
forward-looking Jefferson nickel is expected to fill cash registers for
many years to come.
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