A Few of These Nickels Are Worth a Small Fortune. The 1937-D Buffalo nickel is one of the most significant coins of the 20th century. Regardless of the circumstances that created this extremely rare nickel, every coin collector would love to have one of these in their collection. It sold for $17,625 in 2016. While 1913 is the year the design changed from the Liberty Head to the Buffalo, 1914 was a special year too. Out of the five examples, only three are privately owned. But these arent easy to come by. The doubled die error is popular among collectors. There are a few key elements to locate valuable rare nickels wanted by collectors. If the hub is not correctly aligned with the coin die, some aspects of the coin will appear doubled. WebFelix Schlag designed these coins. The result is a doubling or tripling of the design, with each impression appearing at a slightly different angle. You Could Find This Rare Penny In Your Pocket Change Heres What To Look For, 90% silver dimes and quarters that were made prior to 1965, 90% silver half dollars and silver dollars. Prime examples are some of the most expensive nickels around. Rob Paulsen Coin 1944 Nickel Value (Rare Errors, D, S & P Mint Marks). Display Ad - $15.10 per column inch; Open rate is $15.10 per column inch. Yes, you read that correctly more than 3 times its face value! All are worth 10 cents or more each. From the beginning, the odds were against any large number of these coins being saved in uncirculated condition. James Bucki is a nationally-recognized coin collector and numismatic expert and author, sharing his knowledge and specialized training in coin grading, minting errors, and collection techniques. The mint quickly added the denominations to the reverse of the coin. Theres a technique I normally use when Im looking for old nickels, and its called coin roll searching. Below is a list of the specific nickelsyou should be looking for. The detail in the Buffalo's horn is evidence of a quality strike. Therefore, uncirculated examples in pristine condition are few and far between. This resulted in coins with a low relief or weak strike in some places, especially on the staircase. Im a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. But in the war years between 1942-1946, the metal composition of the Jefferson nickel changed to 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese. If the full steps show, this coin could be worth thousands. WebUncirculated 1944 P Jefferson nickels in mint condition are plentiful, but the true gems are fairly scarce. You can see the doubling of the last two digits on the date as evidenced by a duplicate set of numbers offset to the right of the original digits. The Philadelphia mint struck 119,150,000 Jefferson nickels in 1944. Only about 20 to 50 of the 1964 SMS nickels exist, and they are especially valuable in excellent condition and showing the full steps of Monticello. #14 1935 Buffalo NickelDoubled Die Reverse, #4 1916 Buffalo NickelDoubled Die Obverse, #2 1918/7-D Buffalo NickelDoubled Die Obverse, #1 1913 Liberty NickelThe Olsen Specimen, 10 Rarest and Most Valuable Coins in the World, Lincoln Wheat Penny Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties, Buffalo (Indian Head) Nickel Values and Prices, Early Jefferson Nickel Values 1938 - 1964, August 2018; ANA Stack's Bowers; Session 3; Rarities Night, 1918/7-D Buffalo NickelDoubled Die Obverse. Virtually all Lincoln pennies made before 1982 are worth 2 to 3 cents just for their copper value let alone their collectible merits. Youre looking for examples that are few in existence. 2.) However, not only is the surface of this coin problem-free, but it is also exceptionally well-struck. Copper and Nickel Prices SOARING!Watch this video on YouTube, Stay up to date with everything about U.S Coins, We dont spam! He has over 50 years of numismatic and writing experience, including a monthly magazine column for the American Numismatic Association. More than 50million nickels were minted in the US in 1926. While the 1918 piece had the wrong year initially stamped on it, the 1916 nickel had the correct year mark, but it was stamped in two places. However, it's worth taking a closer look at them to see if you have something might be of value. Because those nickels are made from a 35% silver composition and are not a significant part of pocket change and circulation anymore. This means that if you can find one that is struck exceptionally well, you might have one of the most expensive nickels. One way to recognize an altered coin is to look for what appears to be a stream of water coming from the buffalo's belly. An example sold in 2006 for $17,250. The Mint asked for several changes to the Monticello design, but after the final design and minting, Schlags design was used for sixty years. Sold: August 2006; Bowers & Merena, 2006 Denver ANA. You may need a magnifying loupe to see the repunched and overlapping D over D mintmark in some 1964 Jefferson nickels from the Denver mint. And those special times can turn everyday items like nickels into the worlds most expensive nickels potentially worth millions of dollars. Read our earnings disclaimer to learn more. They are readily available in circulated grades but very rare in well-struck high grades. They were only 16,000 coins minted for circulation, and that makes it the lowest production quantity in the entire series. The silver melt value for each coin is $1.16 as of February 26, 2023. 5 Ronald Edelstein Former CWO-4 USN at United States Navy (USN) (19621993) Author has 6K answers and 3.5M answer views 3 y Related In fact, at one point, the value of nickel went to $100,000 per metric ton. These doubled die errors make coins immensely valuable, as usually only a small number of coins are affected when an error occurs. Some of the most valuable nickels came from the Buffalo series, which saw the animal on the reverse, or tails side of the coin from 1913 to 1938. Uncirculated variations of the nickel sell for hundreds of thousands, including a record $276,000 sale in 2008 for a 1926 doubled die coin in mint condition. The 1944 doubled die nickels are quite rare but extremely desirable, with nickels showing strong doubling fetching a higher value. One interesting minting error is when the wrong year's die is used to stamp the reverse, or back, side of the coin. The highest standalone sale price for a 1913 Liberty Head nickel was $4.56million for a proof coin at auction in 2018, according to the PCGS. Millions of the 1944 Jefferson nickels are still in circulation, and this coin can be ranked low on the rarity scale. Distilled, not diluted. Ive got the answer to that below! Check your collection for these valuable Topps Star Wars trading cards from the original film series. Many of the 1944 P nickels came out with a poor strike resulting from the Mint using worn, clumsily polished dies. These Type II coins are extremely rare in gem uncirculated condition of MS-68. Most Proof coins in this series had production runs of approximately 1,000 coins. You Could Find This Rare Penny In Your Pocket Change Heres What To Look For. Very few of these in top-collector quality exist today. In the collecting world, the fact that these little mistakes slipped through means big money. How much is Dimes Worth? At that price, a typical nickel is worth 16 cents in And the rest is collecting history that rivals even some of the worlds most valuable paintings or the most valuable stamps. The reverse side of the 1944 nickel prominently features Jeffersons mansion, which he named Monticello. By combining the historical significance of the 19th century along with a small production, the 1880 Shield Nickel is one of the valuable rare nickels wanted by collectors. Step 2: Grading Condition - Comparing to images of different grades, recognize the quality in demand and awarded premium value. Buyers must be extremely cautious when purchasing these coins because unscrupulous people have shaved off the front leg on a regular 1937-D Buffalo nickel. Mint state 1944 S nickels are worth significantly more, fetching upward of $1500. So, the news about nickels being worth more than face value. Im a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. $0.83. WebFound only in collector proof sets, the 1971 no S Jefferson nickel is considered a holy grail among those who collect modern nickels. On the other hand, Buffalo nickels are very popular, but I still As was typical, the San Francisco mint produced the fewest number of nickels, making these coins rare. Coin dealer B. Max Mehl of Fort Worth, Texas, spent a fortune on advertising to enticing people to search their pocket change for valuable 1913 Liberty Head nickels. Some people gold plated them and tried to pass them off as five-dollar gold pieces. Sold: November 2008; Bowers & Merena, The November 2008 Baltimore Auction. A worker at the mint created this die variety when he tried to repair the surface of a coin die by polishing it to remove some imperfections. Advertise a display every week and get a monthly 10% discount. 1913 Liberty Head V Nickel - Worth $4,408,650. 2002-2023 LoveToKnow Media. As was typical, the San Francisco mint produced the fewest number of nickels, making these coins rare. Thanks to one over-polished die, the Denver mint produced a small amount of Buffalo nickels with just three and a half legs showing on it in 1936. Uncirculated coins went directly to collectors and are more likely to be in good condition. There are numerous examples of these coins, and they can be worth between $50 and $100. However, some examples are worth far more than five cents. Lower-grade coins are worth $20 to $30, compared to about $1 for those made at the Philadelphia mint. Value: $138,000. There are only 24 known examples with full steps, and one sold in 2019 for $24,000. Therefore, a majority of them are classified as circulated. ; Records have also been broken in 2021 for the 1964 Nickel D/D grade MS65 selling for Aside from using worn dies, the mint also devised a mechanism for striking more coins by mounting two dies on one press. Nickels from this period include Liberty Head Nickels from 1883-1913, Buffalo Nickels from 1913-1938, Jefferson Nickels from 1938-2003, and Westward Journey Nickels from 2004-2006. Why more uncirculated examples were not saved is a mystery to numismatists. The 21 most valuable nickels 1885 Liberty Head V Nickel: $3,800 When the Liberty Head nickel design was first released in 1883, the word cents was omitted from it. This was the year they removed the rays from the die, but some still got through with the rays. That said, some Jefferson nickels from 1944 in mint, gem, and uncirculated condition are rare, with only a few existing examples. 7 Rare Wheat Pennies To Collect & What Theyre Worth Today, This 1982 Copper Penny Is Worth $10,000! As it would turn out, human error reared its ugly head in this process and these 1942 nickels are the result. Copper and Nickel Prices SOARING! Some Canadian nickels are known to be worth up to $10,000 and even the less rare iterations can still get you $100 or more. WebThese coins were made entirely from silver, and were much smaller. The 1924-S Buffalo nickel is by no means a rare coin in circulated condition. More than 120 million of this reverse were minted, and about 40,000 still survive. Errors dont happen too often at places where currency and coins are created, so this has become a collectors item and the 1937 versions even more. The value of a 1944 S nickel depends on the coins condition. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Youll probably have better luck browsing the auction sites and treating them like investments. However, some high-quality examples cost around $35. In 1883, the Shield nickel was replaced by the Liberty Head nickel, the Buffalo nickel made its debut in 1913, and in 1938, the first Jefferson nickel was minted. It is obvious that there is a numeral 7 lurking underneath the last digit in the date. Coin dies - the metal pieces used to imprint emblems on coins - typically strike coins multiple times to ingrain the image or text. Over 1.4 million 1924-S Buffalo Nickels were created. Here is another mint error caused by the improper manufacturing of a coin die. Ah, yes You probably saw the line above if it was legal in the United States and got excited about sending rolls and bags of nickels out of the country for melting there or maybe selling your nickel coins as scrap metal. Learn how to spot these treasures so you don't accidentally put them in a parking meter or gumball machine. The mint overused the die, taking too long before replacing them. There are thought to be ten or fewer examples today, and back in 2004, one sold for $132,250, or $202,400 in 2022 dollars. While other mints and other years had millions of examples, only 970,000 Buffalo nickels came out of the San Francisco mint in 1926. Im the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. If you look closely at the year stamped onto the front of the coin, you may notice that the "8" in 1918 looks somewhat distorted. 20Rare Vinyl Records With Extreme Value to Look Out For. Most examples circulated for almost 15 years until Paul M. Lange of Rochester, New York offered an example for sale in an auction on March 1930. An avid antiques collector herself, Kate has written about antiques for many years. Most Valuable Nickel 1. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. In 2008, just before the recession, one sold for $125,350, or $168,300 in 2022 dollars. All coins minted at each facility have a mintmark, P, D, or S, respectively. Well touch on the coins history and its physical characteristics. The San Francisco mint in 1917 mostly produced poorly struck Buffalo Nickels. You can notice some trends in the years that are valuable and the mints they come from. The rarity of this nickel is all based on its condition. Buffalo Nickels. One in amazing shape sold for $32,900 in 2014. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. WebA nickel from 1976 is worth 5 cents. The most valuable nickels include the 1913 Liberty Head V nickel worth $5.26 million, the 1964 Jefferson nickel with mirror brockage which reportedly sold for $1.15 million, and the 1918/7-D Buffalo nickel doubled die obverse worth $504,164. By looking at auction records, especially at places like Heritage Auctions, you can get a sense about what makes these nickels valuable and what to watch for in your pocket change. 6.) While overstamps like this are very rare, they are even rarer with two separate years. To find out, simply use this base metal coin value calculator. Sold: August 2007; Bowers & Merena, Rarities Coin Auction. 6 Vintage Sneakers That Are Still in High Demand. Like the rare and valuable George Washington dollar over a nickel, the Susan B. Anthony overstamp is also worth a lot of money. In the early 1940s, cameo coins with deep texture were very rare. If you buy thru these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. All told, the U.S. Mint produces an average of 12 to 15 billion coins each year and the more they make, the lower the production costs per coin tend to be. WebYes, silver nickels are worth money. Also worth noting silver nickels arent made entirely from silver. Check the coins reverse, and you should identify the prominent Monticello mansion on all silver war nickels. This scale has been incorporated into the modern Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Corporations (NGC) rating systems. It is not known why the United States Mint made only five coins. An example sold in 2013 for $21,150. One with almost no flaws and beautiful rainbow patina rings sold for $15,275 in 2017. It was a beautiful example with subtle colors in the patina. pennies made before 1982 are worth 2 to 3 cents just for their copper value, Some 1969 Washington Quarters Are Worth $4,000! If the sides of the steps are wavy and less distinct, you may have this subtle and valuable minting error. This minting mistake has the image of Susan B. Anthony stamped over the top of Monticello on a Jefferson nickel. If this imperfection is not present, it is a clear indication of an altered coin. Not the kind that show up at random in your pocket change each day. That said, this coin had a high mintage between the three mints, and many of the coins were released into circulation. Only about 19 with this finish exist, probably part of an unofficial mint set. Unlike Lincoln wheat pennieswhich almost everyone knows about and saves from circulation there are many old Jefferson nickels made in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s that are still in circulation simply because they look much like the newer Jefferson nickels. The poor striking quality may have been an effort by mint workers to extend die life or just a lack of attention to quality. This created a lot of hype and demand and that has never died over the years. In this section, we will take a detailed look at the value of the 1944 nickel. Usually, coins struck in Philadelphia do not have a mintmark, and 1944 was the first year the P mintmark appeared on nickels. However, they are even scarcer in excellent condition. It goes back to the issue of rising metals prices. Jefferson nickels from 1944 in mint, uncirculated condition are fairly scarce. The 1971 no-S Jefferson nickel is worth about $1,000 and up.. 1975-D High D Mintmark WebThe 1964 FS MS67 has continued the downward trend of previous years with two pieces auctioning in 2021 for $5,040 and $4,230 ().In 2021 a 1964 Jefferson Nickel SMS SP68 almost matched the record value of the 1964 Nickel SMS FS SP68 when it sold for $31,200. However, the cost to make a penny or a nickel is generally offset by the profit the U.S. Mint makes in striking dimes, quarters, and other coins. If you've got a few Jefferson nickels in your pocket, give them a closer look. The dollar coin strike is off center, so you can still see that the coin is also a nickel. NEVER judge a book by its cover, or a coin by its face value. The motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM, appears around the top edge of the coin, while the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA are imprinted around the bottom edge. According to MRTWAF, the reason this coin is worth so much is because of a little dot next to the date on the beaver side of the nickel. Coins Signature Auction, Orlando, FL. One sold for $15,275 in 2016. Why would the U.S. government spend millions even billions of dollars making a bunch of coins if Americans are simply going to melt them down? Anthony Dollar Over Jefferson Nickel. That happened in 1940 when the 1938 die was used for a few nickels. Giant Nickel: $10 (Tuesday by 12pm) Pennywise: $25 (Tuesday by 4pm) Display Pricing. 1913 Liberty Nickel: The Most Valuable Nickel in the World, Got Rare Nickels? In an uncirculated mint state, it can fetch up to $1,500. A very fine example of the 1938 Jefferson nickel from the Denver mint fetched $33,600 at auction in 2022. These include: Lets now look at the value of each of these nickels. However, if the coin is rare, uncirculated, or brand new, it can be worth between $225 and $275! Unlike the nickels from Philly, the ones from the Denver mint were struck remarkably well, coming out with an attractive luster and sharp strike, a great example of a wartime coin. With only about 200 known, this coin is quite scarce. Read more in our privacy policy. You can find a range of nickels worth money in many years, including 1880, 1885, 1919, 1920, 1926, 1927, 1936, 1937, 1942, and 1964. You can identify these coins by the large P appearing on the reverse at the top of the Monticello mansion. This coin's high level of preservation and dramatic eye appeal make it an extremely valuable coin. 2005 Nickels Worth Money. You can purchase a well-circulated coin from a reputable coin dealer for just a few dollars. Real Helpful. 1971 Quarter Value (Rare Errors, D, S & No Mint Marks). This is the lowest mintage of any coin in the Buffalo Nickel series. The 1944 nickel is very common, given that the Mint struck more than 170 million coins. The 1913 Liberty Head nickels are among the best-known and most sought-after US coins in existence. 6 Vintage Action Figures That Are Valuable Today. Additionally, the brilliance of this normally ruddy coin sets it apart from all others and commands such a high value. In 1917 World War I was raging in Europe and manufacturing processes were gearing up to produce war goods. However, well-struck uncirculated coins that exhibit the finer details of the design are few and far between. Thats when the Westward Journey nickelshonoring the bicentennial of theLewis and Clark expeditionwere released, bringing new obverse and reverse designs to the 5-cent coin. Very few were set aside for collection, and of those, there aren't many in near mint condition. Value: $5,842. These imperfections must have been substantial because the worker polished the die beyond usual standards. Real Experiences. The Shield nickels were produced from 1866 to 1883, replacing the fractional currency notes issued prior. Sold: April 2008; Bowers & Merena, The April 2008 Chicago Rarities Sale. Generally speaking, coins that appear more worn will be worth less than coins that are in better condition. Sold: October 2006; Heritage Auctions, 2006 October Dallas Signature Coin Auction, Dallas, TX. The San Francisco mint struck 21,640,000 Jefferson nickels in 1944. It's worth looking closely at 1964-D nickels just in case, since one in beautiful condition sold for $19,800 in 2022. If you can identify the rarity, the history, and the condition of any nickel, then you will be able to conquer this hobby. But if the nickels come from an interesting era, like during one of the world wars, or at a time when nickels changed design, like 1913, then you might be onto something. How much your Jefferson nickel is worth will depend on factors such as its condition, the coins rarity, and the presence of significant errors. One premium condition example of the 1964 nickel sold for $32,900 in 2016, equal to about $39,600 in 2022 dollars.