Most Valuable Nickels: The Ultimate Collector's Hit List
The humble five-cent piece has a surprisingly rich history filled with extreme rarities, famous errors, and key dates that are worth a small fortune. From the multi-million dollar 1913 Liberty Head to a Buffalo nickel missing a leg, this list covers the most valuable nickels collectors are searching for.
Top 7 Most Valuable Nickels to Find
1. 1913 Liberty Head "V" Nickel
This is one of the most famous and mysterious rarities in all of American coinage. Only five specimens are known to exist. They were struck under mysterious circumstances at the U.S. Mint after the Liberty Head design was supposed to have been retired. While you almost certainly won't find one, no list of valuable nickels is complete without this legend.
- What to Look For: A Liberty Head "V" nickel with the date 1913. All five are accounted for, but who knows!
- Estimated Value: $3 million to over $5 million.
2. 1937-D "Three-Legged" Buffalo Nickel
This is arguably the most popular error coin in the Buffalo nickel series. A mint employee over-polished a die to remove a clash mark, accidentally polishing away the front leg of the buffalo on the reverse.
- What to Look For: A 1937 Buffalo nickel with a "D" mint mark where the buffalo on the reverse is clearly missing its front right leg.
- Estimated Value: $500 in circulated condition to over $20,000 for high-grade examples.
3. 1918/7-D Overdate Buffalo Nickel
A fascinating error where a 1917 die was re-engraved with a 1918 date. Traces of the "7" are clearly visible under the "8" in the date.
- What to Look For: On a 1918-D Buffalo nickel, use a magnifier to look for the curve of a "7" showing underneath the "8".
- Estimated Value: $1,000 to over $50,000.
4. 1950-D Jefferson Nickel
The undisputed key date of the Jefferson nickel series. With a mintage of only 2.6 million, it's the lowest mintage coin in the entire series and a must-have for collectors, even though it's a modern coin.
- What to Look For: A Jefferson nickel with the date 1950 and a "D" mint mark to the right of Monticello on the reverse.
- Estimated Value: $10 in circulated condition to over $30 in uncirculated condition.
5. 1885 Liberty Head "V" Nickel
The key date of the Liberty Head series. Due to a good economy and a large stock of nickels already on hand, the mint produced only 1.4 million of these in 1885, and very few were saved.
- What to Look For: A Liberty Head nickel with the date 1885.
- Estimated Value: $350 - $1,500+
6. 1916 Doubled Die Obverse Buffalo Nickel
A dramatic error that shows strong doubling on the date, with the "1916" appearing twice, clearly separated.
- What to Look For: Obvious doubling of the entire date on a 1916 Buffalo nickel.
- Estimated Value: $2,000 to over $100,000.
7. Wartime Silver Nickels (1942-1945)
To save nickel for the war effort, the U.S. Mint changed the composition of the five-cent piece to an alloy of 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese. These are a great find for any collector.
- What to Look For: A large mint mark ("P", "D", or "S") on the reverse, directly above the dome of Monticello. This is the only time a "P" mint mark appeared on a nickel during this era.
- Estimated Value: $1 - $3 each, based on the current price of silver.
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