With the penny potentially about to become extinct as a result of President Donald Trump’s guidance to the Treasury Department to stop production of the one-cent coin, attention may perhaps soon turn to the nickel as a symbol of obsolescence.
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Not so for these numismatic nickels, however. Coveted by collectors due to their rarity and value on the secondary market, the following American coins could fetch a handsome sum — should you ever find yourself lucky enough to be in their possession.
1913 Liberty ‘V’ Nickel
With only a population of five known to be in existence, this nickel — produced by the Philadelphia Mint and designed by Charles E. Barber — set a record price of $4.56 million when sold in 2018 at a Stack’s Bowers auction.
The specimen in question was graded PR66 (proof 66) with all other known specimens coming in at PR64 or below, according to the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). The PR64 specimen sold via Heritage Auctions in 2014 for nearly $3.3 million, while a PR63-graded example sold for almost $3.2 million in 2013 via the same auction house.
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1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel-Doubled Die Obverse
Although The Spruce Crafts is correct to indicate an all-time-high auction price of $350,750 — achieved during an auction conducted by Stacks Bowers in August 2016 — concerning an MS65 (mint state 65) example, similarly graded specimens have sold in the interim for significantly less.
That’s not to dash one’s hopes, however. A similarly graded MS65 buffalo nickel from the same issuance garnered $216,000 in November 2020 at a Stack’s Bowers auction. This time, however, the coin was not part of a registry set.
The mint’s overdate came as a result of hasty production, according to PCGS.
“This overdate was a result of the United States’ insatiable demand for circulating minor coins during the final two years of World War One,” PCGS wrote of this coin’s issuance. “There was a nationwide shortage of cents and nickels in 1917 and 1918 that resulted in large output of these denominations. During the final quarter of 1917 the engraving department at the Philadelphia Mint was busy producing dies for both 1917- and 1918-dated coinage. One of the obverse dies for the Buffalo nickel received its first impression from a 1917-dated hub, but the second impression came from a 1918-dated hub.”
1880 Shield Nickel
The 1880 shield nickel is a beautiful bit of coinage, bearing a plain edge and a simple yet stunning design that catches the eye while clearly indicating the denomination. Only 16,000 of these were issued by the Philadelphia Mint (along with a further 3,955 proof coins, per The Spruce Crafts), making it attainable yet most desirable in graded condition.
Sources don’t appear to concur on the coins value at auction. The Spruce Crafts pegs the value at $117,500 (as of 2016) for an MS66 example, while PCGS suggested the value topped out at $99,875 in 2022.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 3 Rare Nickels Worth Big Money in 2025
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