A rare nickel stored in a bank vault for over four decades fetched $506,250 in an online auction. While most five-cent coins carry only their face value, a few varieties are worth the thousands due to their rarity and value. Here is a roundup of the most valuable American nickels in circulation.
1879 Shield Nickel
Shield Nickels are considered the first five-cent coins to be minted in nickel. Before these coins, five cents were made from silver metal. This specimen has both patriotic and historic significance. It featured a shield inspired by the Great Seal of the United States. It represented strength, protection, and unity. The fact that it was in circulation around the Civil War turmoil makes it an extraordinary collector’s item.
The value of 1879 Shield Nickel in circulation is between $450 and $2650. A circulated specimen can fetch as much as $15,000.
1913 Liberty Head Nickel
Only five pieces of this rare nickel were minted in 1913. However, they never made to official release. Hence, their history is quite intriguing. The original Liberty Head design was replaced by the new Buffalo head design.
The coin collectors who held these highly coveted pieces were Walton, Norweb, McDermott, Olsen, and Eliasberg. The Walton specimen was sold for a whopping amount of $4.2 million at an auction in 2022.
1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel
A 20th-century numismatic rarity in the Buffalo nickel series, this one is known for its overdate error. It shows the top and bottom of the number ‘7’ below the number ‘8’. There were thousands of such nickels but dates on most of them are not visible due to wear.
This nickel in circulated condition has a value between $630 and $29000. Its uncirculated version can fetch a huge amount of $400,000. One coin in this series was sold at $216,000 at an auction.
1937-D Buffalo Nickel
This nickel earned its singularity for the missing front foreleg of the buffalo in its design. Hence, it is also known as a three-legged buffalo coin. Some people also call it an error coin owing to a design mistake made by an inexperienced mint worker in 1937. He used an over-polished die that resulted in a missing leg of the bison.
Several fake 1937-D Buffalo nickels were produced later. The real ones could be worth $350-$1950 or even upwards of $100K.
1938-D/S Buffalo Nickel
This nickel owes its peculiarity to an over-mint mark. It has a ‘D’ letter of the Denver Mint over the ‘S’ letter of the San Francisco Mint. It appears that San Francisco die was repunched at Denver.
It has an auction record of $25,300 at an auction in 2004. The specimens in circulation are worth $5-$50. On the contrary, an uncirculated coin has an upward value of as much as $13,500.
1939 Doubled Monticello
This nickel is considered valuable because the engraved words ‘Monticello’ and ‘Five Cents’ are strongly die doubled. It means that both these words appear doubled.
The nickels in circulation hold negligible value and it is rare to find uncirculated specimens. However, the uncirculated pristine Doubled Monticello can be worth $600.
1942–1945 Jefferson War Nickels
These nickels, minted during World War II, have a composition of copper, silver, and manganese materials. Nickel was a strategic metal during those days for manufacturing war equipment. It was the only time when silver was used in making nickel coins that contained no nickel. The coin features the portrait of President Thomas Jefferson on the obverse. The reverse has the image of Monticello, a plantation he inherited from his father.
Jefferson war nickels in circulation have a value of $1.25 to $3.75. However, an uncirculated coin in pristine condition can fetch around $800.
1943/2-P Overdate Jefferson Nickel
The oddity of 1943/2-P Overdate Jefferson Nickel lies in its error. It is the only variety in the entire Jefferson series that has an overdate. It depicts a 2 over a 3 in its date. The error happened when a 1942 die was repunched as a 1943 die. It also holds importance because it is a wartime nickel with a composition of copper and nickel.
Its worth ranges between $25 and $275 in circulated condition. The value of uncirculated coins can go up to $5000.
1950-D Jefferson Nickel
This nickel specimen stands out for its low mintage of 2.6 million. While it was not the first coin with a low mintage, people began to hoard it. The high demand combined with the supply shortage created a buzz around it.
1950-D Jefferson Nickel is worth $5.50-$11 for coins in circulation. An uncirculated coin in its original condition is equivalent to $500.
2004-2005 Westward Journey Nickels
This collection is unique due to its special designs in 2004 and 2005 as an ode to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. One design features the Jefferson Peace Medal’s ‘Peace and Friendship Handshake’. The design after that depicts ‘Keelboat’. The coins that followed ‘Keelboat’ showcased other designs such as ‘American Bison’ and ‘Ocean in View’.
The value of the Westward Journey nickel series depends on the design and condition of the coins. For example, the ‘Keelboat’ nickel can be equivalent to $0.10 to $325.
2009 Jefferson Nickels
These coins are a collector’s delight but hard to find in circulation. The design was the same as most original Jefferson coins – his portrait and his plantation Monticello. However, there are two reasons why they are valuable. First, they had very low mintages. Second, they were minted and circulated during the Great Recession.
Most 2009 Jefferson Nickels in circulation are worth their face value. However, a few rare ones are valued at $22-$39.
