What Nickels Are Worth Money?

Published October 17, 2026 · Last reviewed October 17, 2026 · 7 min read

A nickel may be the easiest coin in your pocket to overlook. It is only worth five cents, it does not have the obvious copper color of a penny, and most modern examples look almost exactly like the ones you have seen your entire life. But hidden among ordinary nickels are coins made with real silver, low-mintage dates, and tiny design mistakes that can turn five cents into hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars.

The hardest part for a beginner is not finding an old nickel. It is knowing which details actually matter. Fortunately, you can learn a lot by checking just a few things: the date, the mintmark, the design, and in some cases one very noticeable letter on the back.

Buffalo Nickels (1913–1938)

One of the easiest older nickels to recognize is the Buffalo nickel, made from 1913 through 1938. The front shows a Native American portrait, while the back features an American bison. Even common Buffalo nickels usually have some collector interest, but certain dates are much harder to find than others. PCGS lists the 1913-S Type 2, 1921-S, 1924-S, and 1926-S among the major regular key dates. Only 970,000 1926-S nickels were made, the lowest mintage of any regular Buffalo nickel.

Valuable Buffalo Nickel Varieties

Some of the most valuable Buffalo nickels are unusual varieties rather than simply low-mintage dates. The 1918/7-D, for example, shows traces of a 7 underneath the final 8 in the date. Another famous example is the 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo, where part of the buffalo's front leg was accidentally removed when a Mint employee over-polished the die used to strike the coins. Even heavily worn examples of the Three-Legged variety can be worth hundreds of dollars, while high-grade examples can reach far higher.

Which Nickels Are Silver?

Buffalo nickels may look old, but they are not silver. In fact, most U.S. nickels contain no silver at all. The exception came during World War II.

Nickel metal was important for military production, so in late 1942 the U.S. Mint changed the composition of certain Jefferson nickels. These special coins, commonly called wartime nickels or war nickels, were made from 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese. The silver composition continued through 1945.

How Do You Identify a Wartime Silver Nickel?

The year 1942 can be confusing because not every 1942 nickel contains silver. The easiest way to tell is to flip the coin over and look above Monticello, the building pictured on the back. Silver wartime nickels have a large P, D, or S mintmark above the dome. In 1942, only the Philadelphia and San Francisco issues with these large mintmarks were silver. Every Jefferson nickel dated 1943, 1944, or 1945 was made from the wartime silver alloy.

That large P is especially interesting. Before the wartime nickel, Philadelphia generally did not place a "P" on its coins. The 1942-P wartime nickel became the first U.S. coin from Philadelphia to display the letter so prominently, making the mintmark an easy way for beginners to recognize these silver pieces.

How Much Silver Is in a War Nickel?

Each wartime nickel weighs five grams and contains about 0.0563 troy ounce of pure silver. To estimate the metal value, multiply that amount by the current silver spot price, which you can check at Kitco. That means even a heavily circulated silver nickel can be worth many times the five cents stamped on it before any collector value is considered.

Jefferson Nickel Key Dates: 1939-D and 1950-D

Silver is not the only reason Jefferson nickels can be worth money. Two dates that beginners should remember are 1939-D and 1950-D. PCGS considers them the two main regular key dates of the Jefferson nickel series. Only about 3.5 million 1939-D nickels were struck, while the 1950-D had an even lower mintage of just 2,630,030.

The 1950-D is a good example of why low mintage does not always mean enormous value. Collectors recognized its low production early and saved large numbers of them, so many survive today. It is still a key date and worth setting aside, but finding one does not automatically mean you have a fortune. Condition matters, and particularly sharp examples showing the full steps of Monticello can bring much stronger premiums.

How to Sort Old Nickels

So when searching through old nickels, start simple. Buffalo nickels, wartime silver nickels, the 1939-D, and the 1950-D are all worth pulling aside. Then look more closely for unusual details such as the 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo or other recognized varieties. Most nickels will still be common, but the valuable ones often reveal themselves through one small date, letter, or missing piece of the design.

Before You Sell Old Nickels

If you decide to sell old Jefferson nickels, Buffalo nickels, or an inherited group of coins, do not clean them first. Cleaning can permanently alter the surface and reduce the value of a collectible coin. Instead, keep anything unusual separate and have unfamiliar pieces evaluated before assuming they are worth only face value.

For anyone in Connecticut or the surrounding area, Haven Coin & Jewelry at 2285 Whitney Ave in Hamden buys U.S. coins and inherited collections and offers free, no-obligation evaluations using current market information. You can call (203) 717-4921. Walk-ins are welcome Tuesday through Friday from 10am–5pm and Saturday from 10am–2pm. Appointments are also available for larger collections. Haven is a licensed Connecticut precious metals dealer and pays by check the same day, as Connecticut law requires. This can be especially helpful when a jar or collection contains a mixture of common nickels, silver wartime pieces, and dates that may have additional collector value.

Five Cents Is Only What the Coin Says

A nickel can pass through thousands of hands without anyone looking at it for more than a second. Yet sometimes the difference between ordinary change and something worth saving is no bigger than a date, a mintmark, or one missing leg on a buffalo. Five cents may be what the coin says it is worth, but knowing what you are looking at can tell a very different story.

FAQ: Nickels

What nickels are worth money?

Buffalo nickel key dates and varieties, wartime silver nickels, and certain Jefferson dates such as the 1939-D and 1950-D can all be worth more than face value.

Which Jefferson nickels contain silver?

Silver Jefferson nickels were made from late 1942 through 1945. Look for a large P, D, or S above Monticello on the reverse.

What is a wartime nickel?

A wartime nickel is a Jefferson nickel made during World War II using an alloy containing 35% silver instead of the normal copper-nickel composition.

How much silver is in a war nickel?

About 0.0563 troy ounce. Multiply that by the live silver spot price to estimate its metal value, which does not include any collector premium.