Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, is the face on the U.S. nickel.

Quick Scoop: Whose face is on the nickel?

If you pick up a standard U.S. five‑cent coin (the nickel), the portrait on the front (the “heads” side, or obverse) is Thomas Jefferson. He has appeared on the nickel since 1938, when his image replaced the earlier “Buffalo nickel” design.

Fast facts

  • Person on the nickel: Thomas Jefferson (3rd U.S. President).
  • First year Jefferson appeared: 1938.
  • Coin value: 5 cents (U.S. currency).
  • Back (reverse) design: Monticello, Jefferson’s home in Virginia, appears on most modern nickels.

A tiny bit of history

In 1938, the U.S. Mint held a public design competition to create a new nickel that would honor Jefferson. The winning design, by Felix Schlag, introduced Jefferson’s portrait on the front and Monticello on the back, which became the familiar look of the nickel for decades. While there were temporary design changes in 2004–2005 for the Westward Journey series, Jefferson has remained the person featured on the coin.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.