Silver war nickels were produced at a time when nickel metal could
be better used for equipment for the war instead of used
for coins. From the middle of 1942 untill 1945 the war nickel
silver content was 35% the rest was 56% copper and 9% manganese.
You can identify these silver war nickels by the
large mintmark either a "S", "D", or "P" above the Monticello dome on the back side of the coin.
This was the first coin to have the "P" mintmark for the Philadelphia mint.
There are some 1942 war nickels that had no silver content these ar identified by
a small "S" or "D" on the right of Monticello or no mint mark at all.