1964 Jefferson Nickel Value: What Is It Worth in 2026?
Circulated examples are worth face value — five cents. Only a true uncirculated coin carries a premium, and grading fees would eat it unless the coin is exceptional.
Value by condition
| Good (G-4, heavily worn) | — |
| Very Good (VG-8) | — |
| Fine (F-12) | — |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | — |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | — |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | — |
| Mint State (MS-63, uncirculated) | $12 |
Struck in huge numbers (over a billion) during the national coin shortage — Congress even froze the date, so 1964 nickels were minted into 1965. Circulated examples are worth face value; only true uncirculated coins carry a premium.
See the full page for this coin (mintage, how to identify it, where to sell)1964 nickel no mint mark value
If your 1964 nickel has no letter on the back, nothing is missing — it was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which did not mark its nickels that year. Check the reverse: a Denver coin has a small D to the right of Monticello, a San Francisco coin a small S. No letter at all means Philadelphia, and "no mint mark" and "P" are the same coin, so the price table above is exactly the one to use.
In worn condition a 1964 Philadelphia nickel trades at face value — five cents. The value only starts in uncirculated condition: around $12 in MS-63. The 1964-D version (with a letter on the back) is a different coin — check the related links below if yours has one.
Why are there so many 1964 nickels — and is a rare one possible?
In the early 1960s the United States hit a nationwide coin shortage, and Congress blamed coin collectors. The Mint's response was to flood the country with coins: over a billion 1964 nickels were struck in Philadelphia alone, and Congress froze the date so that nickels dated 1964 kept coming out well into 1965. That is why a 1964 nickel turns up in pocket change constantly, sixty years later.
The flip side of that story: with billions made, a circulated 1964 nickel will never be rare. It is worth five cents today and it will be worth five cents in twenty years. The value lives at the very top of the grading scale — a true Mint State coin with sharp full steps on Monticello can bring $12 and up, and top-grade registry coins bring more.
One more honest note: you may see 1964 nickels advertised online as rare or error coins worth thousands. Ordinary ones are not. Real 1964 varieties worth a premium are subtle die varieties that need magnification to spot — if your coin looks like every other 1964 nickel, it is worth five cents.
How to confirm it's genuine
- The mint mark is on the reverse, to the right of Monticello — a small D or S. No letter means Philadelphia. A magnifier with light at a 45° angle works best.
- Never clean the coin: cleaning destroys the original surface and can cut the value in half.
- For any coin worth more than $200, PCGS/NGC grading fees (~$20–50) are money well spent.
Where to sell this coin
- eBay works best in the $1.00–$200 range. Take clear photos of both sides in natural light, and put the year, mint mark, and approximate grade in the title.
- A local coin dealer is the fastest way to cash out, but expect 60–70% of guide prices. Best for selling common dates in bulk.
- Graded high-value coins do best at auction houses like Heritage Auctions or Stack's Bowers, where realized prices are public.