CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 1964 Jefferson Nickel value at an average of 5 cents, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $43. (see details)…
Is there a 1946 silver nickel?
There are 1946 nickels struck in error on obsolete wartime silver blanks. These are quite rare. This error was caused by the same event that caused the 1943 copper cent or the 1944 steel cent. That is, the coin was struck on blanks left over from the previous year.
When did nickels stop having silver?
Nickel (United States coin)
| Composition | 25% nickel 75% copper “War Nickels” (mid-1942 to 1945): 56% copper 35% silver 9% manganese |
| Silver | 1942 to 1945 Wartime Nickels only (with large mint mark on reverse) 1.750 g 0.05626 troy oz |
| Years of minting | 1866 – present (except 1922, 1932, and 1933) |
| Obverse | |
|---|---|
| Design | Thomas Jefferson |
What kind of silver is in a 1964 nickel?
The 1964 nickel contains 0% silver. The only Jefferson nickels to contain silver were from 1942–1945 and they contained 35% silver. During those years nickel was needed for armor plating, etc for WWII. That’s why 1942–45 nickels are called “war nickles”. 1964 and older dollars, half dollars, quarters and dimes all had a 90% silver composition.
When did Nickels stop being made of silver?
No, nickels were only made of 35% silver for a very brief time—from 1942 to 1945, during World War II. Since 1946, U.S. nickels have returned to the standard composition of 75% copper and 25% nickel. You may be confusing the date 1964 with the higher denomination coins: dimes, quarters, and half dollars were made of 90% silver up until 1964.
What to look for in a nickel before 1965?
You should look for earlier-date nickels with mintmarks and key dates (e.g., 1950-D) and the very early Jeffersons. The rest of them don’t command much of a premium if any. Dimes, quarters and halves were 90% silver before 1965 so you should grab all pre-1965 dimes, quarters and halves.
When was the first silver nickel coin made?
Silver Nickels One of the more unusual Silver coins was the Jefferson Nickel of 1942 to 1945. Jefferson Nickels were first minted in 1938 and made of 75% Copper and 25% Nickel. However, in 1942, with World War II raging in Europe and the Pacific, Nickel became a critical war material.
