Monticello is a historic plantation and the primary residence of Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Located in the Piedmont region just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, Jefferson began designing the estate after inheriting land from his father at age 14.
The property was originally a 5,000-acre plantation where enslaved people were forced to cultivate tobacco and mixed crops, though production later shifted toward wheat. Due to its architectural and historical importance, Monticello is designated as a National Historic Landmark. In 1987, it was jointly designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the nearby University of Virginia.
The site holds significant cultural recognition in the United States, where a depiction of Monticello has appeared on the reverse of the nickel every year since 1938, with the exception of 2004 and 2005.