edit
With Rays, 1866–1867
Year
Mint
Mintage
Comments
1866
(P)
14,742,500
First year of issue/release
1867
(P)
2,019,000
Last year with rays on reverse of coin. Most 1867 shield nickels are of the "No Rays" variety.
Without Rays, 1867–1883
Year
Mint
Mintage
Comments
1867
(P)
28,890,500
Type 2, Without Rays
1868
(P)
28,817,000
1869
(P)
16,395,000
1870
(P)
4,806,000
1871
(P)
561,000
1872
(P)
6,036,000
1873
(P)
4,549,100
Includes Open 3 and Closed 3 varieties
1874
(P)
3,538,000
1875
(P)
2,097,000
1876
(P)
2,530,000
1877
(P)
900
Proof only
1878
(P)
2,350
Proof only
1879
(P)
29,100
1880
(P)
19,995
Key date
1881
(P)
72,375
1882
(P)
11,476,600
1883
(P)
1,456,919
Last year of issue
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Liberty Head V Nickel (1883-1913)
Year
Mint
Mintage
Comments
1883
(P)
5,479,519
1883, No "CENTS" on reverse
(P)
16,032,983
1883, With "CENTS" on reverse
1884
(P)
11,273,942
1885
(P)
1,476,490
Key date
1886
(P)
3,330,290
Key date
1887
(P)
15,263,652
1888
(P)
10,720,483
1889
(P)
15,881,361
1890
(P)
16,259,272
1891
(P)
16,834,350
1892
(P)
11,699,642
1893
(P)
13,370,195
1894
(P)
5,413,132
1895
(P)
9,979,884
1896
(P)
8,842,920
1897
(P)
20,428,735
1898
(P)
12,532,087
1899
(P)
26,029,031
1900
(P)
27,255,995
1901
(P)
26,480,213
1902
(P)
31,480,579
1903
(P)
28,006,725
1904
(P)
21,404,984
1905
(P)
29,827,276
1906
(P)
38,613,725
1907
(P)
39,214,800
1908
(P)
22,686,177
1909
(P)
11,590,526
1910
(P)
30,169,353
1911
(P)
39,559,372
Highest mintage of the series
1912
(P)
26,236,714
D
8,474,000
Only year minted at the Denver Mint
S
238,000
Only year minted at the San Francisco Mint, Key date
1913
(P)
5
Incredibly rare, 5 known to exist
edit
Indian Head (or Buffalo) nickel 1913–1938
Year
Mint
Mintage
Comments
1913, Type 1
(P)
30,993,520
Type 1, mound on reverse
D
5,337,000
Type 1, mound on reverse
S
2,105,000
Type 1, mound on reverse
1913, Type 2
(P)
29,858,700
Type 2, flat on reverse
D
4,156,000
Type 2, flat on reverse
S
1,209,000
Type 2, flat on reverse, Key date
1914
(P)
20,665,738
Includes 4 Over 3 variety
D
3,912,000
Semi-key date
S
3,470,000
1915
(P)
20,987,270
D
7,569,500
S
1,505,000
Semi-key date
1916
(P)
63,498,066
D
13,333,000
S
11,860,000
1917
(P)
51,424,029
D
9,910,800
S
4,193,000
1918
(P)
32,086,314
D
8,362,314
Includes 8 Over 7 variety
S
4,882,000
1919
(P)
60,868,000
D
8,006,000
S
7,521,000
1920
(P)
63,093,000
D
9,418,000
S
9,689,000
1921
(P)
10,663,000
S
1,557,000
Semi-key date
1923
(P)
35,715,000
No buffalo nickels were made in 1922. Production resumed in 1923
S
6,142,000
Semi-key date
1924
(P)
21,620,000
D
5,258,000
S
1,437,000
Semi-key date
1925
(P)
35,565,100
D
4,450,000
S
6,256,000
1926
(P)
44,693,000
D
5,638,000
S
970,000
Semi-key date
1927
(P)
37,981,000
D
5,730,000
S
3,430,000
1928
(P)
23,411,000
D
6,436,000
S
6,936,000
1929
(P)
36,446,000
D
8,370,000
S
7,754,000
1930
(P)
22,849,000
S
5,435,000
1931
S
1,200,000
Only S mintmarks for 1931. Semi-key date
1934
(P)
20,213,003
No nickels minted during 1932 and 1933. Production resumes 1934
D
7,480,000
1935
(P)
58,264,000
D
12,092,000
S
10,300,000
1936
(P)
119,001,420
Highest mintage of the series
D
24,814,000
Includes the rare "3 and 1/2 Legs" variety
S
14,930,000
1937
(P)
79,485,769
Second-highest mintage of the series
D
17,826,000
Includes the rare "3 Legs" variety
S
5,635,000
1938
D
7,020,000
Includes the "D on S" variety, 1938 Buffalo nickels were only minted in Denver
edit
Jefferson nickels have been minted since 1938 at the Philadelphia and Denver mints and from the San Francisco mint until 1970. Key dates for the series include the 1939-D, and 1950-D nickels. The 1939-D nickel with a mintage of 3,514,000 coins is the second lowest behind the 1950-D nickel. The cause of the key date of 1939 stems from the new design that excited collectors the year prior, after the initial hype had settled down fewer nickels were saved.[ 1] brilliant uncirculated roll boom that burst between 1963 and 1964.[ 2] [ 3] Coinage Act of 1965 removed all mint marks from nickels that were issued by the mints, this lasted until 1968 when the mintmark was moved from the reverse to the obverse side of the coin.[ 4]
Pre-War Composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) 1938-1942
Year
Mint
Mintage
Comments
1938
(P)
19,515,365
First year of issue
D
5,376,000
S
4,105,000
1939
(P)
120,627,535
D
3,514,000
Semi-key date
S
6,630,000
1940
(P)
176,499,158
D
43,540,000
S
39,690,000
1941
(P)
203,283,720
D
53,432,000
S
43,445,000
1942
(P)
49,818,600
D
13,938,000
Wartime Composition (56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese) 1942-1945
Year
Mint
Mintage
Comments
1942
P
57,900,600
Can be told apart from the non-silver nickels since these have a mintmark above Monticello.
S
32,900,000
1943
P
271,165,000
D
15,294,000
S
104,060,000
1944
P
119,150,000
D
32,309,000
S
21,640,000
1945
P
119,408,100
D
37,158,000
S
58,939,000
Post-War Composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) 1946-2003
Year
Mint
Mintage
Comments
1946
(P)
161,116,000
D
45,292,200
S
13,560,000
1947
(P)
95,000,000
D
37,822,000
S
24,720,000
1948
(P)
89,348,000
D
44,734,000
S
11,300,000
1949
(P)
60,652,000
D
36,498,000
S
9,716,000
1950
(P)
9,847,386
D
2,630,030
Key date
1951
(P)
28,609,500
D
20,460,000
S
7,776,000
1952
(P)
64,069,980
D
30,638,000
S
20,572,000
1953
(P)
46,772,800
D
59,878,600
S
19,210,900
1954
(P)
47,917,350
D
117,136,560
S
29,384,000
1955
(P)
8,266,200
D
74,464,100
1956
(P)
35,885,384
D
67,222,940
1957
(P)
39,655,952
D
136,828,900
1958
(P)
17,963,652
D
168,249,120
1959
(P)
28,397,291
D
160,738,240
1960
(P)
57,107,602
D
192,582,180
1961
(P)
76,668,244
D
229,342,760
1962
(P)
110,602,019
D
280,195,720
1963
(P)
178,851,645
D
276,829,460
1964
(P)
1,028,622,762
D
1,787,297,160
1965
(P/D/S)
136,131,380
Mintmarks suspended until 1968 to discourage coin collecting.
1966
(P/D/S)
156,208,283
Mintmarks suspended until 1968 to discourage coin collecting.
1967
(P/D/S)
107,325,800
Mintmarks suspended until 1968 to discourage coin collecting.
1968
D
91,227,880
S
100,396,004
1969
D
202,807,500
S
123,099,631
1970
D
515,485,380
S
241,464,814
1971
(P)
106,884,000
D
316,144,800
S
3,220,733
Proof only. Includes the very rare "No S" variety, of which there are ~200 known.
1972
(P)
202,036,000
D
351,694,600
S
3,260,996
Proof only
1973
(P)
384,396,000
D
261,405,000
S
2,760,339
Proof only
1974
(P)
601,752,000
D
277,373,000
S
2,612,568
Proof only
1975
(P)
181,772,000
D
401,875,300
S
2,845,450
Proof only
1976
(P)
367,124,000
D
563,964,147
S
2,845,450
Proof only
1977
(P)
585,376,000
D
297,313,460
S
3,251,152
Proof only
1978
(P)
391,308,000
D
313,092,780
S
3,127,781
Proof only
1979
(P)
463,188,000
D
325,867,672
S
3,677,175
Proof only
1980
P
593,004,000
"P" mintmark added to the obverse of the coin.
D
502,323,448
S
3,554,806
Proof only
1981
P
657,504,000
D
364,801,843
S
4,063,083
Proof only
1982
P
292,355,000
D
373,726,544
S
3,857,479
Proof only
1983
P
561,615,000
D
536,726,276
S
3,279,126
Proof only
1984
P
746,769,000
D
517,675,146
S
3,065,110
Proof only
1985
P
647,114,962
D
459,747,446
S
3,362,821
Proof only
1986
P
536,883,483
D
361,819,140
S
3,010,497
Proof only
1987
P
371,499,481
D
410,590,604
S
4,227,728
Proof only
1988
P
771,360,000
D
663,771,652
S
3,262,948
Proof only
1989
P
898,812,000
D
570,842,474
S
3,220,194
Proof only
1990
P
661,636,000
D
663,938,503
S
3,299,559
Proof only
1991
P
614,104,000
D
436,496,678
S
2,867,787
Proof only
1992
P
399,552,000
D
450,565,113
S
4,176,560
Proof only
1993
P
412,076,000
D
406,084,135
S
3,394,792
Proof only
1994
P
722,160,000
P
167,703
Special Frosted Matte Uncirculated. Included in collector's sets.
D
715,762,110
S
3,269,923
Proof only
1995
P
774,156,000
D
888,112,000
S
2,797,481
Proof only
1996
P
829,332,000
D
817,736,000
S
2,525,625
Proof only
1997
P
470,972,000
P
25,000
Special Frosted Matte Uncirculated. Rare - Included in collector's sets.
D
466,640,000
S
2,796,678
Proof only
1998
P
688,292,000
D
635,380,000
S
2,086,507
Proof only
1999
P
1,212,000,000
D
1,066,720,000
S
3,347,966
Proof only
2000
P
846,240,000
D
1,509,220,000
S
4,047,993
Proof only
2001
P
675,704,000
D
627,680,000
S
3,184,606
Proof only
2002
P
529,280,000
D
691,200,000
S
3,211,995
Proof only
2003
P
441,840,000
D
383,040,000
S
3,298,439
Proof only
Westward Journey Series, 2004-2005
Year
Mint
Mintage
Comments
2004
P
361,440,000
Louisiana Purchase reverse
D
372,000,000
Louisiana Purchase reverse
S
2,992,069
Louisiana Purchase reverse, proof only
2004
P
366,720,000
Keelboat reverse
D
344,880,000
Keelboat reverse
S
2,965,422
Keelboat reverse, proof only
2005
P
448,320,000
American Bison reverse
D
487,680,000
American Bison reverse
S
3,344,679
American Bison reverse, proof only
2005
P
394,080,000
Ocean in View reverse
D
411,120,000
Ocean in View reverse
S
3,344,679
Ocean in View reverse, proof only
Return to Monticello (75% copper, 25% nickel) 2006-Present
Year
Mint
Mintage
Comments
2006
P
693,120,000
D
809,280,000
S
3,054,436
Proof only
2007
P
571,680,000
D
626,160,000
S
2,577,166
Proof only
2008
P
279,840,000
D
345,600,000
S
2,169,561
Proof only
2009
P
39,840,000
the Great Recession caused low mintage numbers not seen since the 1950s.
D
46,800,000
S
2,179,867
Proof only
2010
P
260,640,000
D
229,920,000
S
1,689,216
Proof only
2011
P
450,000,000
D
540,240,000
S
1,673,010
Proof only
2012
P
464,640,000
D
558,960,000
S
1,239,148
Proof only
2013
P
607,440,000
D
615,600,000
S
1,274,505
Proof only
2014
P
635,520,000
D
570,720,000
S
1,193,735
Proof only
2015
P
752,880,000
D
846,720,000
S
1,099,413
Proof only
2016
P
786,960,000
D
759,600,000
S
1,011,684
Proof only
2017
P
710,160,000
D
663,120,000
S
979,498
Proof only
S
223,310
Enhanced Uncirculated
2018
P
629,520,000
D
626,880,000
S
898,986
Proof only
S
199,177
Reverse proof[ 5]
2019
P
567,854,400
D
527,040,000
S
989,862
Proof only
2020
P
837,600,000
D
785,500,000
S
823,909
Proof only
W
464,658
Proof
W
313,183
Reverse proof
2021
P
772,700,000
D
798,000,000
S
861,607
Proof only
2022
P
769,900,000
D
777,600,000
S
647,160
Proof only
2023
P
692,600,000
D
734,800,000
S
551,802
Proof only
2024
P
36,720,000
As of October 28, 2024
D
32,880,000
As of October 28, 2024
S
TBA
Proof only
^ "1939-D Jefferson Nickel Now A Key Date" . www.bellaonline.com . Retrieved January 15, 2015 .^ "US Coins: 75 Years of Jefferson Nickels" . www.coinweek.com . September 19, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2015 .^ "1964 a Momentous Year in Coins" . www.numismaster.com . August 19, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2015 .^ "Why Mint Marks?" . www.usmint.gov . Retrieved January 16, 2015 .^ "2018 S Jefferson Nickel Photos, Mintage, Specifications, Errors, Varieties, Grading and Much More" .
