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Collecting coins is a serious pastime for some people and a casual hobby for others – but it can also be a high-return investment. While most coins found in everyday life are only worth face value, the price of some rare nickels from the past can skyrocket.
Below are the four most valuable nickels, aged 100 or more.
1913 Liberty Head V Nickel
According to Lux Digital, it is the most valuable American nickel in existence. Only five examples are known to have been built and only three of these are in the hands of private collectors.
According to USA Today, one such example (graded PR66) sold for $4.56 million in 2018 and another, graded PR63, sold for $4.2 million in 2022. Regardless of inflation, condition was almost certainly a factor when considering the price differentials of these sales, given that high-end coin auctions are subject to a great deal of volatility.
1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel Doubled Die Obverse
Although it is impossible to find this error coin in the wild, anything is possible. This Buffalo nickel was originally dated 1917, then dated 1918, meaning the 7 is still visible at the bottom.
As Lux Digital reported, a better example of this coin sold for $350,750 in 2006. This will be equivalent to $549,202 in 2024.
1926-S Buffalo Nickel
With the S indicating that this variety of Buffalo nickel was created at the San Francisco Mint (and only 970,000 were minted, other mints produced millions of examples by comparison), finding one of these coins in mint condition can fetch you a huge sum.
According to the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), a particularly impressive example of this coin (graded MS66 by the competitive grading service Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, or NGC) sold for $322,000 at a 2008 Bowers & Merena auction. This is equivalent to $472,096 in 2024 currency.
1867 Shield nickel with rays (proof)
The 1867 shield is an important date for the nickel, which was minted from 1866 to 1883, but when the 1867 coin was to be issued, the various rays surrounding the number five on the reverse had to be removed. A few coins survived this removal, retaining the date 1867 – and these are the most valuable.
According to PCGS, an NGC-graded PR66 example sold through Heritage Auctions in 2004 fetched the seller a cool $132,250, which is approximately $220,998 in value today.
Other modern (and more common) nickels
While the vast majority of highly valuable nickels are much older than most, some more recent examples can be found in circulation. Be wary of the Silver War nickel above, as the value of any shield nickel starts at around $16, according to The Spruce Crafts.