The 10 Most Rarest Nickels: In the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, the United States Mint manufactured millions upon millions of nickels.
Around this period, individuals started collecting coins more seriously, and many people began saving their nickels during this time.
Because of this, antique nickels are extremely common, and only a small percentage of them may be considered uncommon. Proof coins make up the majority of the items on this list, which features some of the rarest nickels in the world.
The majority of people paid little attention to these various types of nickels when they were initially manufactured, which is one of the reasons why so few examples have survived to the present day.
1. 1926-S Buffalo Nickel
- Estimated Number in Existence or Number Minted: 970,000
- Year Created: 1926
- Mint: San Francisco
- Value (Based on Highest Price Paid at Auction): $322,000
Collectible coins from the Buffalo Nickel series are some of the most sought-after in the world. There were just 970,000 of the 1926-S Buffalo Nickels struck, making it the coin with the lowest mintage in the whole Buffalo Nickel series.
Even though this may seem like a significant amount, the reality is that only a small number of 1926-S Buffalo Nickels have been preserved, making the coin quite rare regardless of its condition. Coin collectors will tell you that the 1926-S Buffalo Nickel is the most important date to have in any collection of Buffalo Nickels.
Because of the few numbers of 1926-S Buffalo Nickels that have been found, the value of these coins is rather high. In 2008, a 1926-S Buffalo Nickel fetched a price of $322,000 at auction.
2. 1879 Shield Nickel
- Estimated Number in Existence or Number Minted: about 25,900
- Year Created: 1879
- Mint: Philadelphia
- Value (Based on Highest Price Paid at Auction): $11,750
After only producing proof coins in 1877 and 1878, the United States Mint started striking Shield Nickels again in the year 1879.
In 1879, the Mint produced just about 25,900 Shield Nickels, a substantial reduction from the previous year’s total of approximately 70,000 coins.
Compared to 1876, the year that was the Mint’s final year of producing normal Shield Nickels, this represented a reduction of around 90 percent.
Collectors are ready to pay thousands of dollars for a single 1879 Shield Nickel that is in good condition because there are not very many of them today.
The 1879 Shield Nickel proofs are considerably more difficult to find, which increases their value. Only roughly 3,200 proofs were ever produced, and the highest price ever paid for an 1879 Shield Nickel proof was $86,250.
3. 1880 Shield Nickel
- Estimated Number in Existence or Number Minted: about 16,000
- Year Created: 1880
- Mint: Philadelphia
- Value (Based on Highest Price Paid at Auction): $117,500
The mintage of the 1880 Shield Nickel was the lowest of any other denomination in the Shield Nickel series. In 1880, just around 16,000 Shield Nickels were struck, and of those, very few have made it into modern-day circulation.
There are just about one hundred 1880 Shield Nickels that have been graded by either the PCGS or the NGC. In point of fact, despite the fact that fewer than 4,000 proofs were made, 1880 Shield Nickels are more readily available than the coins that were really released to the public.
4.1885 Liberty Head nickel
- Estimated Number in Existence or Number Minted: 3,790
- Year Created: 1885
- Mint: Philadelphia
- Value (Based on Highest Price Paid at Auction): $14,300
It is difficult to find an 1885 Liberty Head Proof nickel because production was limited to fewer than 4,000 pieces.
Despite this, some of the 1885 Liberty Head-proof nickels have been kept in circulation by coin collectors ever since they were made available for purchase. Just like any other coin, the ones that are in superior condition are more difficult to find.
Despite the fact that around 1.4 million were issued into circulation, the 1885 Liberty Head nickel is regarded as a rare coin overall.
People were more interested in the nickels with the 1883 Liberty Head design, therefore they did not give any thought to the possibility of keeping any of their 1885 Liberty Head nickels.
Therefore, there aren’t too many 1885 Liberty Head nickels still in circulation, and the coins, regardless of their condition, are regarded as valuable.
5. 1878 Shield Nickel Proof
- Estimated Number in Existence or Number Minted: about 2,350
- Year Created: 1878
- Mint: Philadelphia
- Value (Based on Highest Price Paid at Auction): $25,850
In the years 1877 and 1878, the production of the Shield Nickel consisted solely of proofs. Even though there were only about 2,350 Shield Nickel proofs produced in 1878, the 1877 proofs are more difficult to find.
Despite the fact that the 1877 Shield Nickel proofs are more difficult to find, the 1878 Shield Nickel proof has a higher value. In 2017, a proof 1878 Shield Nickel fetched a price of $25,850 at auction.
6. 1877 Shield Nickel Proof with No Rays
- Estimated Number in Existence or Number Minted: about 510
- Year Created: 1877
- Mint: Philadelphia
- Value (Based on Highest Price Paid at Auction): $19,550
The 1877 Shield Nickel Proof with No Rays is extremely uncommon due to the fact that the year 1877 saw the production of only proof coins of the nickel. Only about 510 Shield Nickel-proof coins with no rays were struck that year (1877) specifically for collectors.
The 1877 coins are quite expensive since they are one of the rarest examples of the Shield Nickel proof.
The buyer paid $19,550 for a single 1877 Shield Nickel proof that did not have any rays. A lovely patina had formed on that specific coin, and it had colors such as periwinkle, mint green, and lemon gold.
7. 1867 Shield Nickel Proof with Rays
- Estimated Number in Existence or Number Minted: 25 to 60 minted
- Year Created: 1867
- Mint: Philadelphia
- Value (Based on Highest Price Paid at Auction): $132,250
In the Shield Nickel series, the proof version of the 1867 Shield Nickel with Rays is the most difficult to find. Unknown is the total number of Shield Nickel proofs with rays that were issued beginning in 1867.
The quantity can range anywhere from 60 to 25 of these extremely rare nickels, depending on the source. It is believed that there were just a handful of Shield Nickel proofs manufactured with rays before the design was changed to have the rays taken out.
Within the community of those who collect coins, there is some skepticism regarding whether or not the Shield Nickel proofs with rays are actually as rare as people believe they are.
The extraordinary rarity of the 1867 Shield Nickel proofs with rays has been called into question as a result of the appearance of multiple examples at auction over the course of several years.
The 1867 Shield Nickel Proof with Rays is a valuable coin that has sold for as much as $132,250 at auction. This is despite the fact that only a small number were actually struck.
8. 1913 Liberty Nickel
- Estimated Number in Existence or Number Minted: 5
- Year Created: 1913
- Mint: Uncertain, but believed to be Philadelphia
- Value (Based on Highest Price Paid at Auction): $4,560,000
The 1913 Liberty Nickel is not only the most valuable nickel in the world, but it also holds the record for being the rarest nickel ever produced. There are only five 1913 Liberty Nickels that are known to exist, and in May of 2007, one of them sold for close to $5 million.
There is a widespread belief that a sixth 1913 Liberty Nickel exists in the personal collection of an individual somewhere.
This fact that earlier Liberty Nickels were struck without the word “CENTS” on the coins went viral in the press after it was reported in several publications
. People began to stockpile these Liberty Nickels, which led to the production of Liberty Nickels being discontinued in 1913.
One of the few things that is known about the 1913 Liberty Nickel is that it does have the word “CENTS” stamped on it, but other than that, not much else is known about it.
One idea suggests that 1913 Liberty Nickels were struck as test pieces, but the dies were later scrapped in order to make room for the Buffalo Nickel, which was to be introduced the following year.
People did not even aware that the 1913 Liberty Nickels existed until the year 1920, and since then, they have become some of the most sought-after coins in the world. This was the year that they were first released into circulation.
Rarest Pennies in the United States – Newshub360.net
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