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How to Find Out What Nickels Are Worth

While in most areas the value of a nickel goes down over the years due to inflation, ironically for the pieces of money themselves the opposite phenomenon occurs -- as time goes on, the value of old currency goes up. Vintage coins can go for serious coin; even something as seemingly negligible as an old nickel, if it's in good condition, can fetch several times its face value or even more. If you have old nickels or any other denomination of money sitting around, finding out what it is worth today is easy and can pay big dividends.

Instructions

- 1
  Identify what year and type of nickel it is. American nickels come in three types: the Liberty head nickel (sometimes also called "V nickels" after the V on the reverse side), minted between 1883 and 1912; the buffalo nickel from 1913 to 1938; and the current Jefferson nickel from 1938 on. If you have a buffalo nickel without a year on it, it should go for about 15 cents.
- 2
  Determine the condition of the nickel. While for nickels the difference in value between one in mint condition and a slightly worn one may only be a few cents, accurately describing the condition of your coins is the only way to determine their true value. A useful chart for how to grade coins can be found at acoin.com/grading/grading.
- 3
  Consult a list of coin values to determine the worth of your nickels. A Liberty nickel in average condition usually fetches about $1, dated buffalo nickels in average condition go for about 75 cents, and all but very old mint condition Jefferson nickels are worth, at most, their face value, 5 cents.

Coin Collecting