18 Most Valuable Nickel Errors You Should Be Looking for

Discover error nickels from the 1910s to the 2000s

Co-authored by Max Hockley and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: August 14, 2026 Fact Checked

What if you had a nickel that was worth more than its face value? What if instead of five cents, it was worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars? Believe it or not, it's really possible! The key is to look for nickels that have errors in them, which almost always drive up their value. In this guide for coin collectors, we've provided a hit list of 18 of the most valuable error nickels to look for. If you're lucky, you might even have one of these rare coins lying around in your couch cushions, your purse, or your piggy bank! Ready to find out? Read on!

Valuable Nickel Errors to Look for (By Year)

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An illustration of the 18 most common nickel errors.

1918/7-D Repunched Date Nickel: $368-$350,750
1935 Doubled Die Reverse Error Nickel: $46-$104,650
1937-D "3-Legged Buffalo" Overpolish Nickel: $351-$99,875
1939 "Double Monticello" Doubled Die Nickel: $41-$4,600
1940-S/S Repunched Mint Mark Nickel: $57-$610
1942-1945 "War Nickels" with Oversized Mint Marks: $1.25-$4,112

1

1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel: $368-$350,750

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This error nickel was punched with the wrong year, then corrected later. Discovered in 1930, 1918/7-D nickel is overdated. This means that the coin was struck first with the wrong date (1917), followed by the correction (1918). You can tell because the top of the 7 peeks out from just behind the 8. This die was used in the Denver mint, and it's unknown how many nickels were struck with it. But one thing's for certain: it's super rare, and super popular, which drives up its value into astronomical heights!^{[1]
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- Value: The 1918/7-D Buffalo nickel is worth around $368 in poor, circulated condition, and as much as $350,750, uncirculated!^{[2]
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1935 Doubled Die Reverse Error Nickel: $46-$104,650

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This error coin was struck with a doubled die on the reverse side. Look at the reverse (back) side of this 1935 Buffalo nickel, and you'll see obvious doubling in the words "FIVE CENTS." The signature Latin phrase "E PLURIBUS UNUM," also on the reverse side, has slight doubling that might be easier to see with a magnifying glass. This coin is also the only significant example of a doubled die error in the Buffalo nickel series, and they're incredibly rare!^{[3]
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- Value: At the low, circulated end of the coin spectrum, the 1935 Doubled Die Reverse nickel can get as much as $46 at auction. At the high end, where there are fewer than 20 examples of uncirculated versions of this coin, its value jumps to $104,650!

3

1937-D "3-Legged Buffalo" Nickel: $351-$99,875

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The buffalo on the back of this 1937 error nickel is missing a leg. The story goes that while the 1937 nickel was being struck in the Denver mint, a press worker noticed rust or clash marks on the die. While attempting to remove them, the worker accidentally overpolished the die and took off most of the buffalo's right foreleg on the nickel's reverse side. The die was still used, despite the error. It's estimated that only 20,000 of these "3-legged buffalo" error nickels were struck, so they're pretty rare!^{[4]
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- Value: A "3-legged buffalo" nickel in poor, circulated condition can command around $350 at auction. But the better its condition, the more it's worth. One of these nickels that had never been circulated in public and retained its original lustre sold for $99,875 in 2021!
- Polishing is the process of removing rust or clash marks from a die by hand with a polishing rod. Mints used to do this so that the mint could keep using the die instead of switching to a new one. Overpolishing happened when the press worker would get a little too heavy-handed with the rod and erase some of the die's details.

4

1939 "Double Monticello" Nickel: $41-$4,600

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The "Double Monticello" nickel was struck with a doubled die. This coin is an example of one of three significant doubled die errors in the Thomas Jefferson nickel series. You can clearly see doubling in the words "FIVE CENTS" and "MONTICELLO" on the coin's reverse side.^{[5]
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- Value: At the low end, a circulated "Double Monticello" error nickel in poor condition sold for $41 in 2017. At the high end, an MS-67 variety that hadn't been circulated in the public sold for $4,600 in 2002!
- Did you know? Monticello is the name of Thomas Jefferson's plantation. Its facade is depicted on the reverse side of the Jefferson nickel design.

5

1940-S/S Repunched Mint Mark Error Nickel: $57-$610

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This coin had its mint mark repunched to fix a mint worker's error. Some 1940 nickels struck in the San Francisco mint have an error that might be easy to miss. The "S" mint mark on the reverse side is doubled, meaning that the mint mark was repunched into the die. Mint workers used to repunch details like the mint mark by hand if the first punch wasn't positioned correctly. The second punch would be slightly off the first one instead of dead-on, making the final mint mark appear doubled.^{[6]
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- Value: Historically, 1940-S/S nickels range in value from $57 to over $600!^{[7]
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1942-1945 "War Nickels" with Oversized Mint Marks: $1.25-$4,112

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Any "war nickel" from this 4-year period will get more than face value at auction. In the 1940s, the U.S. government needed the nickel used to make 5-cent coins for World War II. To keep making 5-cent coins, they had to find an alloy that could replace the nickel used to make them. That's why nickels minted from 1942 to 1945 were struck on an alloy of copper, silver, and manganese. To distinguish these coins (called "War Nickels") from regular nickels still in circulation, the mints added an extra-large mint mark to the reverse side. While not technically an error, these nickels are definitely unique and highly sought-after by coin collectors!^{[8]
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- Value: The value of one of these coins can vary widely. Circulated War Nickels can sell for as little as $1.25, while uncirculated, near-perfect versions can sell for as much as $4,112.^{[9]
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1942-D Over Horizontal D Error Nickel: $47-$15,275

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This error nickel has 2 mint marks, one punched on top of the other. In the 1940s, mint workers hand-punched the mint mark onto whatever die was being used to strike coins. In this unique and rare Jefferson nickel error, a worker punched the "D" mint mark horizontally onto the reverse side of the coin. They must have discovered their error and repunched the "D" vertically. Fortunately for collectors, you can still see the horizontal "D" underneath the vertical one.^{[10]
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- Value: At the low end, a 1945-D Over Horizontal D nickel can sell for $47. At the high end, it's sold for as much as $15,375!

8

1943-P "3 Over 2" Jefferson Nickel: $431-$16,675

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This error is the only known overdate in the Thomas Jefferson nickel series. If you look closely at the bottom of the 3 at the end of "1943," you'll see the edge of a 2 underneath it. Much like the 1918/7 Buffalo nickel, this coin's overdate error probably came about from a die that had been stamped with 2 different years.^{[11]
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- Value: Over 1000 of this particular error coin have been discovered so far. Auction sales have ranged from $431 for an MS-64 "3 over 2" nickel to $16,675 for one graded MS-67!

9

1945-P Doubled Die Reverse Error Nickel: $20-$4,888

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This nickel has obvious doubling from a double die error on the reverse side. You can see it most clearly in the word "CENTS" and the letters "C-E-L-L-O" in "MONTICELLO." The doubling is so dramatic, you can usually see it without a magnifying glass!^{[12]
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- Value: In poor, circulated condition, a 1945-P Doubled Die Reverse nickel might go for as little as $20. But it can be worth much more, with a higher grade like MS-66 going for $4888!

10

1949-D/S Over Mint Mark Error Nickel: $132-$2,585

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This 1949 nickel was initially punched with the wrong mint mark. Coin enthusiasts speculate that this nickel error occurred when a mint worker mistakenly punched an "S" for San Francisco into a die that was meant for the Denver mint. When they noticed the error, they punched over it again with a "D" mint mark. The "S" is still slightly visible under the "D," especially on the left side of the letter.^{[13]
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- Value: 1949-D/S nickels have sold for as little as $132 in poor, circulated condition, to as much as $2,585 in grade MS-67!

11

1955-D/S Over Mint Mark Error Nickel: $3.50-$1,200

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This nickel error occurred because of an effort to save money. In 1955, the U.S. government closed the San Francisco mint, which wasn't meeting performance expectations. They moved that mint's coin production over to the Denver mint, a move that the government said would decrease mintage costs by half.^{[14]
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Research source} The San Francisco mint already had nickel dies ready to go, though, so they punched over the mint marks with a "D" and shipped them to the Denver mint. You can see the shadow of the "S" behind the "D" on the reverse side of the nickels struck by those dies.^{[15]
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- Value: Circulated versions of this error coin might only get you about $3.50. That's definitely above face value, but not a dramatic increase from $0.05. On the other hand, uncirculated 1955-D/S nickels in pristine condition can be worth as much as $1,200!

12

1964-D/D Repunched Mint Mark Error Nickel: $1,763-$19,800

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This nickel's mint mark looks thicker than normal because it was repunched. Sometimes, when a mint mark or another detail on a coin's face is repunched, it doesn't create a doubling effect. Rather, it makes the detail look thicker than a normal mint mark. This is what happened to the 1964-D/D Jefferson nickel!^{[16]
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- Value: This error is rare, so it tends to be worth a lot of money. It's sold for as little as $1763 and for as much as $19,800!

13

1971 No Mint Mark Proof Nickel Error: $800-$7,600

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Proofs are collectors' versions of regular coins. They're often made out of silver or gold with a glossy mirrored finish, and struck more than once to ensure the details are as accurate and crisp as possible. They're also made in extremely limited quantities, so even without an error, these coins are rare and valuable!^{[17]
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Research source} In 1971, one of the obverse (front) dies used to strike the nickel proofs for that year was missing a mint mark. The resulting error can be worth thousands of dollars!^{[18]
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- Value: 1971 proof nickels with no mint mark can go anywhere from $800 to $7,600, depending on the coin's condition.

14

1979 Double Denomination Error Nickel: $1,800

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This 1979 nickel features two coin designs and is an extremely rare error! Here's what happened: a penny planchet that had already been struck with the Lincoln cent design somehow made its way into the nickel presses. There, it was struck again, but this time with the nickel design. This is called a double denomination error, and it's always worth a lot of money!
- Value: The highest-selling example of this 1979 error nickel went for $1800 at auction!

15

1986-P Wrong Planchet Error Nickel: $400-$1200

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This error nickel was struck on a blank penny planchet instead of a nickel planchet. As a result, the edges of the design are missing, but the year, the mint mark, Jefferson's portrait, and Monticello are still clearly visible.^{[19]
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- Value: Currently, you can expect to get from $400 to $1200 for a 1986-P wrong planchet error nickel.

16

2005-P "Speared Bison" Nickel Error: $31-$2650

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The "Speared Bison" nickel struck in 2005 is actually a die gouge error. A die gouge occurs when a foreign object gets between the die and the planchet during the strike. The object leaves a gouge in the coin's face. In this nickel's case, the gouge is long and thin, and it starts underneath the bison and travels up its side and back. It somewhat resembles a spear running through the animal, which is where it gets its nickname.^{[20]
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- Value: Circulated examples of a 2005-P "Speared Bison" nickel have sold for a minimum of $31 at auction. Uncirculated examples in great condition can go up to $2650 in value!

17

2006-P Straight Clipped Planchet Nickel Error: $980

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This 2006 nickel error looks like it's had pieces broken off of it. A clipped planchet is a planchet that has had its edges clipped off as it was being punched out of a strip of metal. The 2006-P straight clipped planchet nickel error is obvious and dramatic, qualities that increase its value. It's also a great find for coin collectors!^{[21]
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- Value: The highest sale for a 2006 nickel with this error took place in 2023. The final bid was $980!
- According to numismatics expert Max Hockley, the known nickel errors include clipped planchets, blank planchets, off-center strikes, and mules.^{[22]
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18

2007-D Broadstrike and Double Strike Error Nickel: $400

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This nickel has not one, but 2 errors: a broad strike and a double strike. A broadstrike error happens when a coin is struck without its retaining collar, which normally prevents it from expanding beyond a specific diameter. This causes the coin's rim to appear broader than normal and feel smoother.^{[23]
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Research source} A double strike error occurs when a struck coin is not properly ejected after it's been struck.^{[24]
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Research source} It stays in the die and is struck again. Some 2007-D nickels have both errors!^{[25]
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- Value: One example of this specific coin error, graded MS-66, sold for $400 at auction!

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Hockley adds that Henning nickels can be quite valuable, too. These are actually counterfeit nickels that were created in the 1950s, and they’ve become highly collectible in recent years. While they’re not technically errors, since they’re counterfeit nickels, they are unusual coins to look out for!^{[26]
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