2002 Nickel Value Guide: See Which 2002 Nickels Are Worth The Most Money Today

2002 U.S. Nickel Values

If you’ve found a 2002 nickel and want to know its value, you’ve come to the right place.

I’ve been collecting coins for years — and I think 2002 nickels offer many valuable opportunities to those who know what they’re looking for!

It seems 2002 nickels turn up in pocket change with pretty decent frequency. Why, I came across one just the other day… But are any of them really worth saving?

How do you know which 2002 nickels are valuable and which ones you can safely spend because they’re only worth face value?

While it’s true that most worn 2002 nickels are worth their face value of just 5 cents, some 2002 nickels have a value of more than $1,000!

I’m going to show you the ins and outs of 2002 nickel values and help you find out how much your 2002 nickels are worth today.

In this article, you will learn:

• Which features on 2002 nickels translate to higher values
• What the mintmark on a 2002 nickel means
• Which 2002 nickels are the most valuable
• What rare 2002 nickel errors can still be found in pocket change

2002 Nickel Design & Mintmarks

When the nickel was originally designed by sculptor Felix Schlag in 1938, I’m sure few thought the same design would be seen on the nation’s 5-cent coin more than 60 years later.

Yet, the design on the U.S. nickel remained almost exactly identical in 2002 as it was in 1938 — with a portrait of President Thomas Jefferson on the obverse (head’s side) and his Virginia home, Monticello, on the reverse (tail’s side).

You’re also going to find one of 3 mint letter stamps, or mintmarks, on your 2002 nickel. The mintmark tells you which U.S. Mint facility struck your coin.

These are the mintmarks that appear on 2002 nickels:

• P – Philadelphia Mint
• D – Denver Mint
• S – San Francisco Mint

Now that you know what the 2002 nickel design and mintmarks are all about, let’s explore how much 2002 nickels are worth…

All 2002 Nickel Values Today

2002-P Nickel Value

The 2002-P nickel had a huge mintage of 539,280,000, meaning more than a half billion nickels came from the Philadelphia Mint that year.

Since so many 2002-P nickels were struck, it is a very common coin.

All circulated 2002-P nickels that show signs of wear or have damage (such as holes, heavy nicks, deep scratches, and the like) are worth just 5 cents.

The most valuable 2002-P nickels are uncirculated — which means they have absolutely no sign of circulation wear. A typical uncirculated 2002-P nickel is worth between 20 and 50 cents.

One of the most valuable 2002-P nickels was graded Mint State-67 Full Steps by Professional Coin Grading Service and sold for $115 in 2006.

Here’s a coin collector’s tip for you…

You are most likely to find unworn, uncirculated 2002-P nickels in rolls of coins from the bank. This video shows how I typically search through rolls of coins:

2002-D Nickel Value

The Denver Mint struck 691,200,000 nickels in 2002. That’s even more than the number that came from the Philly Mint that year– so you can probably guess that the 2002-D nickel is a very common coin.

For that reason, most circulated 2002-D nickels are worth only their face value of 5 cents, if they’re worn or damaged in any way.

That’s right, there’s no need to save any of the worn or damaged 2002-D nickels you find in pocket change or coin jars. You can just spend them!

Now, when it comes to 2002-D nickels that are uncirculated… that’s a bit different. A run-of-the-mill uncirculated 2002-D nickel is worth 20 to 50 cents.

And to top that off…

The most valuable 2002-D nickel is a Mint State-67 Full Steps specimen graded by Numismatic Guaranty Company that sold for $1,187.49 in 2023.

2002-S Nickel Value

I’m pretty sure you’re not going to be finding too many 2002-S nickels in circulation.

Why not?

It’s because the 2002-S nickel was specially struck for collectors at the San Francisco Mint and sold directly to the public in proof sets.

A total of 3,211,995 of the 2002-S nickels were struck.

Now, I know what you might be thinking…

You’re probably looking at that mintage figure of 3 million-something and thinking, “Gee, that’s a lot less than the half-billion 2002 nickels from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. Surely, any 2002 nickel with the “S” mintmark must be rare!”

I can see why you may think that. But in this case, 3+ million 2002-S proof nickels is enough to fill current collector demand — so the prices for this proof nickel aren’t as high as you might expect.

In fact, you can buy a 2002-S proof nickel from a coin dealer for about $2 or $3 apiece. That’s not a bad price, really — if you want a super high-quality 2002-S nickel for your coin collection.

Rare 2002 Error Nickels… And Their Values

Many people have asked me about their sort of unusual 2002 nickels, and they want to know if these coins are worth anything.

Here’s the thing to remember…

Most weird 2002 nickels you find are not errors, but rather they’re just showing signs of post-mint damage. The hard truth is that error coins just simply are not going to turn up all that easily. This is why they’re valuable — because they’re rare.

You 100% should be looking for Jefferson nickel errors in circulation. They are absolutely out there just waiting to be found. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to find them — it’s not. Still, I believe it’s well worth the time, patience, and effort!

Here’s what some of the most common 2002 nickel errors (that you might come across in your pocket change) are worth today…

Off-Center 2002 Nickel Error

When a coin is struck off center, part of its design may be entirely absent. That’s the case with 2002 off-center nickels — which may be missing only 3% to 5% of its design, or perhaps as much as 50% or more. Values vary depending on how much of the design is missing and whether or not the date is fully present.

A 10% off-center 2002 nickel with a full date could bring $25 to $40, perhaps even more.

Broadstruck 2002 Nickel Error

Coins are usually struck within something called a retaining collar, which corrals the coin as it’s being struck. It helps to keep the coin in its place while being struck by the dies, and it helps to form the rim of the coin, too. When a coin is not struck within its retaining collar, it may pancake outward a bit as it’s being struck.

If you find a 2002 nickel that is a bit wider and thinner than usual with what looks like extra space around the design, it could be a broadstrike error. Such a coin can take $20 to $30 and up.

Doubled Die 2002 Nickel Error

Doubled die coins are not coins that have been struck twice. They are struck once by dies that show doubling in their design. And doubled die coins are pretty hot collectibles, let me tell you! Even though there aren’t any major doubled dies known among 2002 nickels, there are some minor doubled dies out there.

These can fetch anywhere between $25 and $50, with coins that have super strong doubling worth potentially much more.

Think you may have a valuable 2002 nickel and want to find out what it’s worth? Post a comment below with a clear photo or two of your coin and I’ll do my best to help you find out more about it!

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