Collecting for rare nickel coins may not just be a pastime but rather the opportunity to possess priceless pieces of American history and sometimes become the proud owner of the coins worth millions. Some of the nickel coins are extremely valuable and rare that collectors are always at the door offering highly.
Starting with the Liberty Head series and eventually working its way to the Buffalo and Jefferson nickels, some of these key dates and minting errors have raised the values of these coins appreciably. Let’s take a closer look at the ten most valuable nickel coins ever created, which are not only rare but conceal fascinating stories behind them.
1913 Liberty Head V Nickel
The 1913 Liberty Head V nickel is another ultra-rare coin, with only five known specimens that were clandestinely prepared for circulation by the Mint. As such, it commands a well-deserved collector interest for decades.
The one-of-a-kind piece is priced even being in crores because of its extreme rarity and historical significance. A specimen belonging to this class of coins was auctioned in 2018 for $4.56 million (approximately Rs 38 crores).
1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel
The 1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel is a rare minting error where the die marked “1917” re-engraving work was done to “1918”. The error happened at the Denver Mint, providing great significance to collectors. A rare coin in mint condition would be priced anywhere between thousands of rupees to lakhs.
1926-S Buffalo Nickel
Due to its low mintage released (970,000); the coin is considered the rare one “Key Date.” Most coins went into circulation; hence, there are not many good examples left. In mint condition, it might fetch enough to be worth a million rupees.
1916 Doubled Die Obverse Buffalo Nickel
The ‘Doubled Die’ error on the obverse of the Buffalo Nickel indicates that the word ‘LIBERTY’ and the portrait of the Native American man have slight doubling on it-an interesting error. Because of that error, the coin is in demand, and an A-1 condition piece can sell for thousands of dollars.
1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel
The 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel is one of the most famous mistake coins in American history. It is missing one front leg of the buffalo. The mistake occurred when over-polishing of the die was performed during minting in Denver. In an excellent condition specimen, the coin valuation can also reach an amount anywhere from thousands to lakhs.
1924-S Buffalo Nickel
The 1924-S Buffalo Nickel is one of those coins that cannot be easily found. Only 1.4 million were made. Poor strike means that most specimens out there are lacking clear designs, making high-grade coins even rarer.
1885 Liberty Head V Nickel
The coin had an original mintage of just 1.47 million and is extraordinarily rare. Most of the coins were widely circulated, making them very difficult to obtain in excellent condition. If this coin is found in excellent condition, it can go up to millions of rupees.
1912-S Liberty Head V Nickel
The 1912-S Liberty Head V nickel was the first nickel coin struck at the San Francisco Mint and was produced in a quantity of just 238,000. With such low mintage, this coin became a rarity among collectors and is worth millions of rupees if found in good condition.
1867 Shield Nickel (with Rays)
The 1867 Shield nickel is famous for its unique design. This coin had rays around the shield, which were later removed due to minting complications. Thus, a Simply One-Year Design was thus made, further increasing Collectibility.
1942-D Over Horizontal D Jefferson Nickel
A rare wartime error coin, the 1942-D Over Horizontal D Jefferson Nickel has the mintmark ‘D’ struck first horizontally and then corrected. Rare among error coins, this one commands a heavy price due to its popularity.
If you ever think about collecting rare nickel coins, go through your coin collection and see; who knows, you might have one worth even lakhs of rupees!
Read More :- Rare Bicentennial Quarter Worth Nearly $23 Million – A Hidden Treasure in Your Pocket
Collecting rare nickel coins is not just an exciting hobby but could be a good investment; you will be protected once you have appreciated their history and value and passed them to posterity.
FAQs:-
What is the most valuable nickel ever?
The 1913 Liberty Head V Nickel, worth up to $4.56 million, is the rarest and most valuable.
What is special about the 1916 Doubled Die Obverse Buffalo Nickel?
It features a doubling error on “LIBERTY” and the Native American’s face, making it unique.
What makes the 1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel valuable?
It has a rare overdate error where “1917” was re-engraved with “1918,” making it highly collectible.