The United States five-cent coin, commonly known as a nickel, features the face of Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States, on its obverse side (heads). This design, known as the Jefferson Nickel, has been in use since 1938.
The current portrait of Jefferson on the nickel dates to 2006 and depicts him facing forward, a departure from the previous profile designs. The design on the reverse side (tails) of the nickel features Monticello, Jefferson’s home in Virginia.
Which way does a nickel face?
The Mint changed his portrait in 2005 during the Westward Journey Nickel Series. His portrait changed again in 2006. This time, Jefferson faced forward for the first time instead of the usual right-facing portrait.
Why did they change the face of the nickel?
In 2004, for the first time, the reverse side of the nickel (the Monticello side) was changed to commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. One minting depicted the Indian Peace Medal and the other illustrated the keelboat from the expedition.