Jefferson Westward Journey Nickel, 2004-2005 | CoinWeek

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..

The Jefferson Nickel entered service in 1938, replacing James Earle Fraser’s Indian Head (Buffalo) Nickel design. The erudite third president is best known for his authorship of the Declaration of Independence, his bitter rivalry with John Adams, his Virginia plantation home Monticello, and the Louisiana Purchase. This 1803 land acquisition brought large swaths of the continental interior west of the Mississippi River under American control for $15 million- then seen by the opposition Federalist Party as an exorbitant sum.

1938 marked the bicentennial of Jefferson’s birth. Just six years earlier, the United States Mint had changed the quarter’s design to honor first President George Washington on the occasion of his birth. With three Presidents now on the coin (Abraham Lincoln was given the cent in 1909), the die was cast for the removal of the allegorical figure of Liberty from our coins in favor of an imperial coinage honoring American politicians.

The Jefferson Nickel design remained relatively untouched until 2004 when Congress authorized the Mint to issue a series of four coins to honor the 200th Anniversary of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery Expedition. The famous expedition to the Pacific coast was undertaken between May 1804 and September 1806 so that the United States Army could survey the newly acquired territory, learn about its resources, and establish relations with indigenous tribes. One of the expedition’s key members, the Shoshone woman Sacagawea, was honored on the one-dollar coin starting in 2000.

The Westward Journey Nickels

The Westward Journey Nickels told the story of the expedition in four reverse designs. The first design symbolized Lewis and Clark’s effort to establish friendly relations with the indigenous tribes and is based on the Jefferson Indian Peace Medals given to tribal chiefs. The design features the clasped hands of an American soldier and an Indian chief and a crossed battle axe and peace pipe. This design was adapted by Mint sculptor Norman E. Nemeth.

The second nickel depicts the keelboat that carried the expedition up the Missouri River from 1803 until 1805, when it was brought back by a returning party so that the rest of the expedition could continue their travel overland. Meriwether Lewis is credited with designing the ship, which was built in Pittsburgh, possibly by Jacob Myers. The keelboat reverse was designed and engraved by Mint sculptor Alfred Meletsky.

The third nickel depicts an American bison. The American bison were vitally important to indigenous tribes, providing food and materials for shelter, clothing, tools, and trade. The commodification of bison led to overhunting, disease, and habitat loss, which nearly drove the species to extinction in the late 19th century. Lewis and Clark first caught sight of bison in June 1804, near present-day Kansas City. They would manage to kill their first one in August of that year near present-day Vermillion, South Dakota. That animal was shot and killed by Joseph Field, who, along with his brother Reubin, enlisted in the Corps with William Clark on August 1, 1803. Joseph Field was the first member of the Corps of Discovery to die, possibly killed in a battle with the Arikara in September 1807.

For this nickel, Jamie Franki is credited with the design. Norman E. Nemth provided the sculpt.

The final nickel in the series depicts the shoreline of Cape Disappointment in the southwestern corner of the present-day state of Washington. It was here where Lewis and Clark first laid eyes on the Pacific Ocean on November 7, 1805, and it was on this spot where they set up their winter camp before heading back east. On the coin is the inscription, “Ocean in view! O! The Joy!” – the words Clark wrote in his journal about the historic occasion. The “Ocean in View” nickel was designed by Joe Fitzgerald and sculpted by Donna Weaver.

The Peace Medal and Keelboat nickels were issued in 2004 and feature Felix Schlag’s obverse design. These coins were issued into circulation, but Satin Finish versions were produced specifically for that year’s Uncirculated Coin Sets. Proof versions were struck at the San Francisco Mint and feature highly polished fields and frosted cameo design elements.

The Bison and “Ocean in View” nickels were struck in 2005. For this issue, the Mint changed the design to depict a right-facing close-up of Jefferson’s face. This design was adapted from the Jean-Antoine Houdon bust of the third president and was drawn by Joe Fitzgerald and engraved by Don Everhart.

Collecting Westward Journey Nickels

The United States Mint offered the public multiple ways of collecting the Westward Journey Nickels, including annual coin sets in 2004 and 2005 that featured Satin Finish Uncirculated versions of the Philadelphia and Denver mint issues as well as the San Francisco Proof. These sets sell today for less than $5 each in original packaging – which seems fair, as this is far below the set’s issue price of $12.95.

Certified examples of each design can also be purchased, but premiums for these coins are higher and account for the cost of submission. “Perfect” Proof 70 examples of each of the designs are readily available, but Superb Gem examples in grades above MS68 are currently available in low numbers. Casual collectors may struggle to differentiate coins struck for circulation (business strikes) from the Satin Finish Uncirculated coins issued in sets. The latter will be much more plentiful in high grade.

Coin Specifications

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