Find Out how Much Your 2016 Nickel Is Worth Today

Did you find a 2016 nickel and want to see if it’s worth keeping?

You’ll probably be surprised to find out that some 2016 nickel values are more than $100 apiece. And a few (in really good condition) can be worth more than $1,000!

I’m not kidding. You can literally find a 2016 nickel today that could fetch hundreds of dollars, if not thousands.

But here’s the catch… You’ve got to know what to look for!

And I’ll give you a fair heads-up: It’s not going to be easy to find a 2016 nickel that’s worth more than $100.

Stick with me though as I explain which 2016 nickels you should be looking for…

Are 2016 Nickels Rare?

I know a lot of you want to know right off the bat if 2016 nickels are rare.

The basic answer is no, 2016 nickels aren’t rare — categorically.

What do I mean by this? Well, quite simply, more than 1.5 billion (that’s billion with a B!) nickels were made by the United States Mint in 2016.

Breaking this down, 786,960,000 nickels were made at the Philadelphia Mint and have a “P” mintmark under the date on the heads side of the coin. Another 759,600,000 nickels were produced at the Denver Mint and have a “D” mintmark under the date.

Finally, the San Francisco Mint struck 1,011,624 nickels with an “S” mintmark. These were made just for collectors and sold to the public in proof sets. You won’t be finding many 2016-S nickels in your pocket change — because it’s rare that someone would take proof coins out of their collectible proof sets. But believe me, it does happen. I’ve found proof coins myself in circulation over the years!

Many of you have asked about special or rare designs on nickels, and I know you’ve seen them over the years. But the 2016 nickel has an ordinary design — at least typical for its era:

• On the head’s side, also known as the obverse, is a modern bust of President Thomas Jefferson looking toward the viewer. (This is a design by Jamie Franki that was engraved by Donna Weaver.)
• On the tail’s side — what we coin collectors call the reverse — is a view of Jefferson’s Virginia home, Monticello. It has appeared on the U.S. nickel since Jefferson made his first appearance on the coin way back in 1938 (as designed by Felix Schlag).

So, no… None of the 2016 nickels is really rare or special, per se.

But, there are some that are harder to find in really good condition. And you could say that those 2016 nickels are rare. I’ll talk more about those in a minute…

Are 2016 Nickels Valuable?

Yes, many of them are!

Now, mind you, the vast majority of the 2016 nickels that you find in circulation with wear or damage are worth just 5 cents. But there are plenty of 2016 nickels worth much more than face value.

The ones you need to keep an eye out for are uncirculated 2016 nickels — which have no wear on them. They’ll look just like they were minted yesterday.

You’ll also want to keep your eyes out for nickels with Full Steps. What this means is that you can see 5 or 6 steps leading up to the door of Monticello on the coin. Any 2016 Full Steps nickels are valuable, but there’s a big catch here: Full Steps nickels are found ONLY in uncirculated condition. That means that even a lightly worn nickel — even if it looks “perfect” — can’t be a Full Steps specimen.

Then there are the proofs. These are coins that were sold just to collectors. A 2016 proof nickel will be readily distinguishable from a regular-issue nickel by the presence of an “S” mintmark under the date. A proof nickel from 2016 will also have very sharp details and reflective surfaces — unless the example you find is heavily worn. Even still, the “S” mintmark will be there to declare its proof status.

Finally, are the valuable errors and varieties. These include off-center strikes, doubled dies, broadstrikes, and other cool pieces. You’ll have to be able to distinguish true errors and varieties from regular post-mint damage, which will represent the vast majority of the unusual coins you find.

How Much Are 2016 Nickels Worth?

So, how much are all of these rare and valuable 2016 nickels really worth?

Here’s a rundown on current 2016 nickel values…

Mint Mark	Condition	Value
P	Uncirculated	$0.15 – $0.30
P	Full Steps	$10 – $100+
D	Uncirculated	$0.15 – $0.30
D	Full Steps	$8 – $25+
S	Proof	$2 – $4

2016 Error Nickel Values

Next we come to 2016 nickels with errors and how much they’re worth today.

Values for these rare nickels are really all over the place and depend heavily on what type of error or variety we’re talking about. Another key variable is how visible or dramatic the error or variety is.

First off, if you need a 20x coin microscope to see the error you believe you’ve found, it’s probably not worth much over the coin’s regular value. The value of errors and varieties isn’t just in how rare or significant it is, but also if the oddity can be readily seen.

The most valuable 2016 nickel errors are the kinds you CAN spot with your naked eye. If you need something stronger than a 5x or 10x coin loupe to view the error, then that’s probably not a coin that will make a lot of money if you sell it.

Here’s a look at what some of the more frequently encountered kinds of 2016 nickel errors are worth:

Error Type	Value
Off-center	$20 – $50+
Broadstruck	$15 – $30+
Die Breaks	$5+
Clipped Planchet	$10+
Doubled Die	$25+ (possibly much higher if the doubling is prominent)

Do you have a 2016 nickel? Think there may be something unique about it? Post a picture of your coin in the comments below and I’ll try to help!