Would you ever think that a coin with a face value of 5C can become a highly collectible item worth thousands and thousands of dollars? Well, we neither, but here we are, writing this article and trying to explain to you why you should focus on this coin.
Even though many of you think that all coins minted pre-1965 were made from silver, unfortunately, we have bad news for you – the 1964 nickel is clad coin. However, that does not diminish its value!
In fact, this coin is pretty attractive among numismatics because of its specific design which includes or excludes Full Steps, this minor detail significantly affects the final price! But we will talk about it a bit later.
In most cases circulated coins will be worth only their face value which is $0.05 and up to a few dollars, nothing more. But if you have a circulated 1964 nickel with Full Steps then the price rapidly grows and goes from $20 up to a few hundred depending on grade.
There is a major difference between the prices of uncirculated and circulated coins. For instance, 1964 Jefferson Nickel in circulated condition is estimated to be worth between $0,10 and $15, while those in mint state are $500.
However, a lot of circulated coins are still in good condition and suitable as collecting examples. Here is the list of the top 3 common coins worth investing in:
We hope that this short introduction was more than enough to make you want to read further even if you aren’t such a big coin enthusiast. Read on if you want to learn all you can about the 1964 Nickle value and its history.
Why Is The 1964 Jefferson Nickel Coin Series Valuable?
There is nothing rare and special about this nickel coin if you look at the minting volume. How a coin with billions of the same specimens can be special and unique? Well, there are a few reasons that can significantly enhance the value.
So what makes 1964 Jefferson Nickle a valuable coin?
First, this coin is among the rare US coin series that was minted only in Denver and Philadelphia facilities and did not have a proof coin variety, instead, it has an SMS variety. Also, the 1964 nickel feature a rare minting error where some coins appear to have a different inscription on them – the saying features the word “Pluridus” instead of “Pluribus”.
Lastly, nickel coins that feature a Full Step design are far more attractive and valuable than regular ones, and very rare. So there you are, three valid reasons to explain to you why numismatics go head over heels for this coin.
Price Guide For Common 1964 Jefferson Nickel Coins Worth Investing
Since the nickels, as well as pennies, aren’t worth much, US officials are thinking about ending their production and usage. When was the last time you used a penny or a nickel? But, phishing them out can only be beneficial for collectors since it will only enhance their collectible value. Until that happens let’s talk about their current value on the market.
1964 no mint mark Jefferson Nickel value
The 1964 nickels that originate from Philadelphia Mint are pretty common variety, due to the fact it was minted in a large volume of 1,028,622,762 coins! This of course means that its value isn’t high at all. All these coins come without a mint mark which is common for coins minted in this facility.
In terms of value, the coins that are not in good condition hold a face value of 5 cents. Those coins that are in “Good”, “Fine”, and “Extremely Fine” condition levels can go up to $20. While coins in “Uncirculated” condition have a big range from a few bucks up to a few thousand.,
However, pay attention to the design of these coins. If you come across a nickel with full steps the price significantly go up. There are 5FS and 6FS coins, meaning 5 and 6 Full Steps. A 1964 5C coin with Full Steps and grade MS67 was sold for $14,100.
1964-D mint mark Jefferson Nickel value
All nickels that were produced in Denver Mint carry a “D” mint mark and they are as well very common. Approximately 1,787,297,160 nickels were minted in 1964. This is an even larger volume than the Philadelphia Mint. So again this coin has no particular value and it is certainly not more valuable than its Philadelphia twin.
The 1964-D coins in “Good”, “Fine”, and “Extremely Fine” conditions are worth their face value and up to $10, depending on the grade. Only the “Uncirculated” coins will be worth significantly more and bring you up to a few thousand dollars if they are graded with a higher grade.
Also, D coins are more valuable if they feature Full Steps in design, here we also have 5FS and 6FS varieties. A 1964-D 5C coin with Full Steps and MS66 grade was sold for $6,325.
1964 SMS Jefferson Nickel (Special Strike) value
The rarest variety is the 1964 SMS Jefferson Nickel series. The coinage was unknown for nearly three decades after it was struck. In 1993 the first 1964 SMS coin was sold at Stack’s auction. These coins are very sought-after and very valuable, and the prices can go up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Nowadays, it is believed that fewer than two dozen of these coins were made and there are no more than 19 coins certified by PCGS. The best example is 1964 5C coins with Full Steps ASMS SP68 which were sold for $32,900!
Most Valuable 1964 Jefferson Nickel coins on the coin market
The Main Features Of The 1964 Jefferson Nickel Coins
The first nickel was produced in 1886, and since then he has seen several design changes. From the original Shield nickel design, over the Liberty nickel, the famous Buffalo nickel, to the Jefferson nickel which is one of the most iconic and popular US coins.
The obverse or the head side of the 1964 nickel coin features a portrait of a third US President Thomas Jefferson. He was also one of the Founding Fathers so the design of this coin was honoring his work and contribution to American history.
In this portrait, Jefferson is facing left while the words “In God We Trust” are inscribed in front of his face. The word “Liberty” and the minting year are engraved behind his head and placed along the rim of the coin.
On the reverse side, you’ll find an image of Monticello, Jefferson’s house in Charlottesville, Virginia. Below the building, the word “Monticello” is stamped. Along the upper rim of the coin, the sentence “E Pluribus Unum” is imprinted. The denomination “Five Cents” is printed just above the “United States of America” which runs alongside the lower coin rim.
In the period between 1942 and 1945 (the War Years), the US Mint changed the alloy they used for minting. Instead of regular 75% copper and 25% nickel, they used a combination of 56% silver, 35% copper, and 9% manganese. However, after 1945 they returned to an original pre-war metal composition.
You should remember that all nickels weigh 5g and have a diameter of 21.3 mm with a smooth edge without any reeding.
List Of Errors Found On 1964 Jefferson Nickel
After all this time we learned that in most cases the most expensive coins were those with unique errors. However, this depends on the type of error and the condition of the coin. Keep in mind that these errors are mint-made. This means that the coin looks great when it comes out of the minting machine it only has a flaw.
Here is the list of the most common errors in the 1964 Jefferson nickel series so let’s see how they measure up.
- 1964 Jefferson Nickel improperly annealed error – The first thing you notice when you look at Nickel coin is that t has a silver tone on the outside, and a copper-colored one on the inside. This error occurs when a wrongly annealed coin gets a part of the nickel plating on the top to come off during minting. So the coin may have a silver surface with a copper-toned stain and vice-versa. These coins are sold for $40 approximately.
- 1964 Jefferson Nickel four strikes three off-center error – This coin features an error with multiple strikes. The coin was struck four times, yet only three were off-center. This means that this coin has three errors in one so it’s a highly-valued coin, and it was sold for $1,200 on auction.
- 1964 Jefferson Nickel broadstruck with obverse brockage error – This error occurs when a coin is minted with a damaged three-piece collar that forms a rim of the coin to say so. During the process, the planchet expands to fit the collar and then detached to release the coin. If any of the three break off during minting, the metal on the planchet expands and we get this error coin.
- 1964 Jefferson Nickel #7 error late stage brockage error – A brockage error is a mirror error that occurs on both sides of the coin. If the error happens late in the minting process, it is usually very drastic and for instance, it can be shown as major cuts in the front and back of the coin. Sometimes an error can look like its edges melted off.These errors can be worth around a few hundred dollars.
- 1964 Jefferson Nickel struck on a 1C planchet – Regular weight of the Nickel coin is 5g so any larger deviations in weight are considered an error. There are nickels that were struck on penny planchets which weigh 3g and have copper tone. These error coins are valuable and go for a few hundred dollars depending on condition and grade.
- 1964 Jefferson Nickel struck 55% off-center on a silver 10C planchet – Dime coins that were minted pre-1965 were minted with 90% silver and 10% copper. Somehow, a 1964 nickel was struck on a 10C silver planchet. The value of this error coin is not only in the error but also it is in the silver content which has a higher melt value. Coins with this error are estimated to be worth over $1,000.
- 1964 Jefferson Nickel 100% struck through obverse cloth error – During the minting process it can happen that a foreign object gets between the die and the planchet. The result is a visible imprint on the finished coin. This is called a strikethrough error, and it can be categorized by the size of the strikethrough and the material that stuck. Errors like this can be sold for a couple of hundred or even thousands of dollars.
- 1964 Jefferson Nickel double-punched mint mark error – All coins are struck multiple times and during that, the planchet might shift between strikes. This is what causes a double-punch error. This error coin is labeled as 1964 D/D since it has a re-punched mint mark where one D is on top of another D. It was sold for $19,800!
Where Can You Trade Valuable 1964 Jefferson Nickles?
Coins can be bought and traded in many different ways. You can sell/buy them in person in your local coin or pawn shop, or in some of the specialized shops and markets. Or maybe at some numismatic show. However, most people trade and buy coins on the Internet.
If this is the way you want to do it, then you need to find a reliable dealer and a platform to make sure you don’t get scammed. Here is our list of auction houses and coin web pages that are proven and reliable – Heritage Auctions, PCGS, Coins For Sale, Stack’s Bowers, or Littleton Coin Company.
For all of you that are considering selling your nickel coins make sure you check the market trends on the web platforms like eBay, Etsy, and LiveAuctioneers. These are great sources where you can see the price ranges, demand, and supply, which will help you form a final price with ease.
But if you are looking to buy nickles on these platforms we advise you to do that only if you can’t find that particular coin anywhere else. Unfortunately, fake coins can appear on the web pages like this, and these replicas are very good. Consult with some professionals before making a purchase. Also, to be sure you are not wasting your money look for feedback, comments, or anything else that can help you find out if the seller is reliable.
FAQ
Which cents have “V” in the denomination?
Did you know that some earlier nickels like Liberty Nickels head V instead of number five? Also, these coins didn’t have the word cents included in the design. That practically means that the only thing that labeled denomination was a large V letter.
The biggest flaw of these coins was that they were very easy to counterfeit, considering the simple design. Considering they were much wider, a lot of fraudsters plated them in gold and passed them off as gold $5 coins. This was the main reason for a big change in design.
Why did nickels change material composition between 1942 and 1945?
During wartime, the US was among the largest manufacturer and distributors of weapons and materials needed for manufacturing weapons. Since nickel was among the materials that were heavily used for those purposes, the US Minted decided to switch composition and reduce the usage of nickel in favor of other industries.
Flip A Coin And Find Out How Valuable It Is
Who knows you might be the one who owns the rarest example of the 1964 Nickel and isn’t aware of it. However, we always advise our readers to take their coins for professional analysis and grading if they suspect that their coins are worth more.
If you collect Jefferson Nickle coins, then we recommend you to read our article about the rare Nickels worth money and see which one you are missing from the collection.
Hopefully, this article answered at least some of your questions about the 1964 Nickel value. We have high hopes that it will help you figure out how to handle your precious coins and where you can trade them risk-free.
In case you know some information that we didn’t mention here, please do not hesitate to share your opinions and advice in the comment section below. Good luck and happy hunting!
I have 18 pieces of 5 cent 1964 for sale for $10,000 each.