How Much is 1954 Nickel Worth?

Last Updated on August 15, 2022

The world is making a series of coins on additional demand. Jefferson Nickels made three coin varieties that were minted each year. The coins had a date and it included the mint mark of the location of the origin like Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver.

San Francisco minted the cents and dimes in 1955 before the coinage operations were suspended. It didn’t close completely but it continued as an assay office and refined metals.

1954 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel US Mint Brilliant Uncirculated

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How much is 1954 Nickel Worth?

The 1954 nickel is worth 35,000 dollars. They are worth more than their face values and some of these are worth more than 5 cents. Old nickels are considered very rare and valuable.

Even the nickel with an error is worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the condition they are in. If the coin is in uncirculated condition and is rare in the mint condition then its value is 225 dollars to 275 dollars.

What is the Value of 1954 Nickel?

The quality of the nickel coin is the factor that is responsible for the value of the coin. Nickels that were minted in the mid of 1950s have different traits that are responsible for either increasing or lowering the visual appearance of the coin.

The scares nickel has a premium value based on the condition. If it has a nice condition, bold design detailing, and crisp present on it then it is considered valuable.

Chart of 1954 Jefferson Nickel Values

Coins Value of the Coin Mint State
1954 0.05 dollars 1.17 dollars
1954 S 0.05 dollars 0.45 dollars
1954 D 0.05 dollars 0.46 dollars

 

1954 Nickel Coin Errors

1954 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel US Mint Brilliant Uncirculated

Over-Minting Error

There are four types of errors that are found on these coins and they are easy to find them. One of the most common errors that were found on these coins was the over-minting of S mintmark San Francisco on the D that is used to represent Denver.

This happened because in the mid-1950s the coiners were minting the dies on coins by hand so two scenes could have taken place. One, the die must be destined for San Francisco but it must have been punched on D coins accidentally.

So the other thing that could have happened must be that the die would have been intended for Denver but was assigned to San Francisco so the D was overpunched with the S mark. So in this way, this unique variety came into existence and it is relatively a scarce variety.

Double Die Error

At that time there were few double die errors. But when there were errors they include, Jefferson’s eye on the opposite side, In God We Trust, Liberty, and the date on the wrong side, E Pluribus Unum, and the United States of America printed on the reverse side of the coin. Minor double dies were found and their value lies between 20 dollars to 50 dollars. 

1954 Nickel Coin Off-Center Error

1954 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel US Mint Brilliant Uncirculated

When the dies are not printed properly or are aligned properly on the blank coin, or if the coin is not sitting properly in its collar then an off-center coin can be formed. The magnitude of off-center error can be from slight to up to 50 percent and this impacts the coin value.

The 1954 nickel coin that has 3 to 5 percent of off-center error can be worth 5 to 10 dollars. The one which has 50 percent of off-center and complete date printed on it along with a mint mark can have a value of 100 dollars.

1954 Nickel Coins Having Die Breaks

When dies of the coins wear out, they start exhibiting intense deterioration signs. These signs can cause cracks on the die surface and can be transferred to the struck coin and appear like bumps or lines. In this way, there are many varieties that exist with errors. 

The coins that have die cracks have different values and their values depend on the position, size and location, and the overall magnitude of the cracks on the die. If there are minor cracks present on the coin then its value is about 3 to 5 dollars. But if there are more cracks in different locations then they can have different values.

The most valuable die break is known as die cud, this die cud is in the form of a raised, flat chunk that is present on blank metal and is attached to the coin. The 1954 nickel coins having large die cuds can have a worth of about 150 dollars or even more than this value. 

Jackie Palmer is a Houston-based coin journalist and fashion enthusiast. She joined Jewels Advisor’s content team after years of experience as a content strategist, managing blogs and social channels for local stores. Jackie mostly collects and studies US coins produced during the 20th century and over the years, published hundreds of articles for multiple coin publications.