The other day I found a 1938 Jefferson nickel in my change. My initial thought was, "Wow... this is 70 years old. Surely it must be worth something."
I think a lot of people tend to think that.
Common Coins In Pocket Change
It happens the most with nickels because they are the coin we receive in our everyday change that has gone the longest without any significant change to the design (other than the special nickels of the last couple years).
Pennies changed in 1959. And all the other coins (dimes, quarters and up) either changed their design or at least went from being made of silver to steel after 1964.
Nickels though, have remained basically the same since 1936, when the Thomas Jefferson design (the Jefferson nickel) was introduced.
Alas, it tends to be that when a coin's design is still current, the coins from that series stay pretty low in price.
How Much Are Jefferson Nickels Worth?
There are a few rare Jeffersons. The ones to particularly watch for are the 1938-D and 1938-S, plus the 1939-D and 1950-D. But even these are only worth $1-$5 in the condition you will most likely find them in your change (which is to say, pretty worn down after 60-70 years of circulation).
If you happen to find them in nearly pristine (almost new) condition, they're worth several times as much, anywhere from $3 to $25. (Any nickel prior to 1956 is worth several times its face value in this condition, by the way).
Either way, that's a nice bit of change for a coin that only "cost" you 5 cents.
Which Jefferson Nickel Is The Most Common?
The 1950-D Jefferson nickel might be the most likely find since it is later than the others, yet is worth $5 even in very worn condition.
The wartime nickels from 1942-1946 were made of 40% silver, so they are worth about $1 each. I assume most people have removed them from circulation, but there may be some still out there because of the way most people assume Jeffersons are only worth face value.
A Word About Mint Marks...
In case you are not familiar with mint marks, each year of Jefferson nickels saw them made at 3 different mints -- Philadelphia, San Francisco and Denver. So (most) nickels made in Philadelphia have a P somewhere on the design, while San Francisco nickels always have an S, and Denver nickels have a D.
Happy hunting and feel free to post any finds or questions here!
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Thank you very much for the information i couldnt seem to find any information on this one coin from 1803. none of the sites i went to could tell me anything about an 1803 nickel. =)
Eh, Im Like very pissed off right now, I like just wrapped about $700 in change that has been accumulating over the years and stuff, and i didnt even like THINK of values on old ones, and im not goin through all those like rolls again! But I did find some of those like wheat pennies, that beavis's mother like use to throw at us and stuff, and I have them like formenting in a jar and im gonna make some vinegar.
I have a couple of old nickles dated from 1940-1967 are they worth anything?
Letitia,
Are those couple Jefferson nickels dated 1940 AND 1967? If so, then the 1967 is worth only face value if worn. The 1940 will be worth somewhere between 10-40 cents if lightly to moderately worn and not damaged (no particularly evident scratches, or nicks, and no signs at all of bends, dents, or harsh cleaning).
Hi, Emmanuel:
What you have is a 2004-D Jefferson nickel commemorating the Lewis & Clark Expedition. If you found the coin in your change, it is worth only face value---5 cents.
Hi, Pam:
1947 nickels are made from the usual copper-nickel composition that nearly all Jefferson nickels are made from (except for some dated 1942 and all form 1943 through 1945).
As for the value of your coin, if it is well-worn, it will likely bring you a few cents over face if you brought it into a coin dealer. For a 1947 nickel to be worth substantially more than face value (even then only 50 cents to a dollar), the coin will have to be completely uncirculated, which means it has no wear and displays the same kind of luster that you would see on brand new nickels.
I found a 1803 d jefferson nickel.
how much would that be worth??