5 Rare Nickels Still in Circulation Worth $78 Million Each – Check Your Change!

Nickels and coins : Amidst the enormous sea of coins making their way through our economy, there are a few truly exceptional treasures hiding in plain sight. Five such extremely rare nickel variations fall into this category, each possibly worth a whopping $78 million.

These coins are the height of numismatic worth, yet amazingly, they still find their way into the general money supply, changing hands thousands of times possibly even yours unrecognized and undervalued.

The Extraordinary World of Rare Coin Collecting

The quest for rare coins has fascinated collectors and investors for hundreds of years. Numismatics the collection and study of currency is more than a pastime; it is an essential preservation of economic and cultural heritage.

It is the gold and silver examples that most often get attention, but it’s usually the humble coins of every day that hide the biggest secrets and worth. Nickels, specifically, possess an interesting history in the American coinage system.

Originally introduced in 1866, the five-cent coin has experienced a plethora of design modifications, mint mistakes, and special issues that have produced some of the most valuable coins ever made. The availability of the nickel as everyday money provides a peculiar circumstance whereby extremely valuable specimens can theoretically circulate, undetected, amidst billions of mundane counterparts.

How Coin Values Are Determined

Prior to discussing the particular rare nickels that are worth millions, it should be mentioned what makes some coins so extremely valuable. There are several principles that make a coin valuable:

• Rarity: The smaller number of examples that exist, the more expensive a coin is. Coins with very limited mintage or those that survived exceptional circumstances can sell for high prices.
• Condition: Coins are graded by numismatists on a scale ranging from Poor (P-1) to Perfect Mint State (MS-70). Coins in mint condition, particularly those that have never been spent, may be exponentially more valuable than worn specimens.
• Historical Significance: Coins that mark critical points in history or major minting mistakes come with premium prices.
• Provenance: A coin’s ownership history will boost its value enormously, particularly if it had once belonged to famous collectors or was included in fabled collections.
• Demand: A coin is only worth as much as collectors will pay. A fierce scramble for the most scarce specimens sends prices soaring to stratospheric heights.

The Fabulous Five: Nickels Worth $78 Million Each

1. The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel

The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is arguably the most fabled coin in U.S. numismatics. There are only five known to exist, and their production is still a mystery. The Liberty Head type was officially discontinued in favor of the Buffalo Nickel in February of 1913, but somehow five Liberty Head Nickels with the 1913 date were secretly made perhaps by a mint worker working outside of his authority.

These coins had been unknown to the numismatic world until 1920, when all five specimens appeared in the hands of former Mint official Samuel Brown. The doubtful provenance contributes to the intrigue and worth of the coins. Although all five specimens have turned up in important collections for years, there persist rumors that some other examples remain in circulation.

The most recent public auction of a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel took place in 2018, when one example sold for $4.56 million. Specialists believe that if one were to come on the market today, especially one that had circulated rather than been conserved, it could fetch more than $78 million because of its remarkable rarity and the dramatic tale such a find would entail.

2. The 1943-D Copper Nickel

During World War II, nickel emerged as a strategic war material, and the U.S. Mint changed the normal copper-nickel composition to that of a silver-manganese-copper alloy (“war nickels”). In an unprecedented mistake, however, some 1943 nickels were minted in the Denver Mint with copper planchets leftover from the last year’s manufacturing.

Though there are known to be several copper pennies issued in 1943, highly prized among collectors, the 1943-D copper nickel is an even more unusual aberration. Just a single verified example has ever been recorded, though repeated rumors from collectors indicate that at least four others can be found.

The sole known example is retained in a private collection, last selling in a private sale widely speculated to have surpassed $3 million in 2011. With the growing focus on scarce 20th-century mistakes and the runaway expansion in the high-end numismatic market, experts estimate that any newly found 1943-D copper nickel in circulation would readily fetch $78 million in the current market.

3. The 1964 Special Mint Set Jefferson Nickel

During 1964, while the U.S. Mint was making the changeover from making Proof sets to Special Mint Sets, a few test nickels were made with unique features. These coins had extraordinarily sharp strikes, mirror-like fields, and frosted designs qualities that wouldn’t become routine until the creation of modern proof coinage decades later.

A few numismatic researchers estimate around five of these special examples were inadvertently put into circulation when the experimental program was dropped. Characterized by their superior luster, remarkably sharp steps on Monticello, and distinctive die-polishing pattern under magnification, these coins are a rare transitional moment in American numismatics.

The transitional error coin market has taken off in recent years, with premium prices paid by collectors for coins that are “missing links” to the production history of the mints. Although no public sales of verified 1964 Special Mint Set Nickels have been documented, specialists place their possible value at the $78 million level due to their sheer rarity and historical importance.

4. The 1939 Doubled Monticello Reverse Nickel

In 1939, a striking error occurred on a small batch of Jefferson Nickels minted at the Philadelphia Mint. Because of misaligned die, these coins have dramatic doubling in the reverse, which can be seen clearly in the Monticello building and the word “MONTICELLO.”

As opposed to normal doubled dies with minor separation, this remarkable error produced a full second impression turned around about 15 degrees from the main image. Although small doubled dies are not uncommon, this particular dramatic mistake is thought to have been made on only around five coins before the die was found and taken out of circulation.

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One example emerged in a collection in 1962 and was certified, and another briefly appeared at auction in 1987 before being withdrawn by its owner. The other three examples are thought to remain in circulation, possibly commingled with regular 1939 nickels.

The fact that the coin is old, the error was so dramatic, and it is so rare positions its potential value at around $78 million on today’s market for any specimen found in circulation.

5. The 2004-D Wisconsin Extra Leaf Quarter

Technically not a nickel, this astounding error coin merits mention due to its staggering value and the fact that it remains in circulation. When producing the Wisconsin state quarter at the Denver Mint, several coins were made with what is seemingly an additional corn leaf on the backside design.

Numismatists argue whether this was due to an intentional die alteration or an unintentional die gouge, but the scarcity is not in doubt. Though there are thousands of the “High Leaf” and “Low Leaf” types (now worth several hundred dollars each), studies have found five extremely rare examples with a third leaf variation at a different angle.

These coins, referred to as the “Angled Leaf Variety,” exhibit features that indicate they might be an intentional die alteration and not an error. These five specimens are the most valuable modern error coins that are still likely in circulation, with estimated values of up to the $78 million range for authenticated specimens a testament to both their scarcity and the high demand for modern mint errors among today’s collectors.

How These Valuable Coins Remain in Circulation

The question naturally follows: how could each of these $78 million coins possibly still be in circulation? There are a number of reasons why this phenomenon is so remarkable:

• Appearance Similarity: All of these expensive nickels appear surprisingly similar to their ordinary counterparts at first glance. Without awareness of certain identifying characteristics, they can easily go unnoticed.
• Wear and Tear: Circulation wear may cover up the unique characteristics that make these coins recognizable, making them even harder to identify.
• Limited Awareness: Even in the age of the internet, certain information regarding these extremely rare versions is still held by serious numismatists and not the masses.
• Inherited Collections: Most coins go through generations in family collections without their actual worth ever being evaluated by experts.
• Banking System Reintroduction: Old collections’ coins are introduced back into circulation on a regular basis when estates are sold by the owners who do not know what they have.

Table: The $78 Million Nickels at a Glance

How to Identify These Ultra-Rare Specimens

For collectors and numismatists looking to find one of these amazing treasures in their pocket change or collection, it is important to learn the precise identifying features:

The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel

• Has the Liberty Head type and not the Buffalo type.
• Date is a tad higher in regard to the bust compared to 1912 nickels.
• Microscopic die marks appear under magnification close to the stars on the obverse.

The 1943-D Copper Nickel

• Copper-colored instead of the silver-plated “war nickel.”
• Weighs 5.0 grams instead of 5.6 grams of silver war nickels
• Will not respond to a magnet, as opposed to standard 1943 nickels.

The 1964 Special Mint Set Jefferson Nickel

• Has mirror-like fields like proof coins
• Displays full steps on Monticello (all six steps easily seen).
• The polishing lines are evident under 10x magnification.

The 1939 Doubled Monticello Reverse Nickel

• Displays spectacular doubling on the Monticello building.
• The second impression turned about 15 degrees.
• Doubling is evident also in lettering, especially in “MONTICELLO.”

The 2004-D Wisconsin Angled Leaf Quarter

• Third leaf at about a 45-degree position
• Die polish marks are evident leading from leaf to corn stalk.
• Distinctly different metal flow pattern around extra leaf area

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The Future of These Numismatic Treasures

The passage of time, the chances of these rare coins going unnoticed decrease. Greater awareness, advanced authentication techniques, and the growing value of rare coins all act against these treasures going unnoticed forever.

Still, there is a chance that one or more of these $78 million coins can still go through routine transactions, waiting for a savvy person to notice their importance. For the average person, the likelihood of stumbling upon one of these ultra-rare nickels is infinitesimally low but not impossible.

This alluring prospect continues to motivate both serious and hobby coin collectors to sift through their change more closely to chance upon a discovery of a lifetime.

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