CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 1938 Jefferson Nickel value at an average of $6, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $1,800. (see details)...

NGC's Coin Price Guide for Jefferson Five Cents (1938-Date). The 1938-S nickel is the rarest business-strike issue of the 3 different 1938 nickels produced for circulation. This San Francisco Mint coin saw a mintage of 4,105,000 — with perhaps half or fewer surviving today. All About the 1939 Nickel of the Jefferson Nickel Series. The 1939 nickel belongs to the Jefferson Nickel Series, which has been in circulation since 1938. It is considered the longest-running series among the four nickel series, namely: Shield, Liberty Head, Buffalo and the Jefferson Nickel series. How Much Jefferson Nickels are Worth: Jefferson Nickel Values & Coin Price Chart For Sale 4383 Auctions 3 Wishlist 16 Collection 4567 Pre-War Composition (1938-2003).

Type:Jefferson Nickel
Year:1938
Mint Mark: No mint mark
Face Value: 0.05 USD
Total Produced: 19,496,000 [?]
Silver Content: 0%
Numismatic Value: $6 to $1800.00
Value: As a rough estimate of this coins value you can assume this coin in average condition will be valued at somewhere around $6, while one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $1,800 at auction. This price does not reference any standard coin grading scale. So when we say average, we mean in a similar condition to other coins issued in 1938, and mint state meaning it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies. [?].

Additional Info: There were 19496 1938 Jefferson Nickels issued as proofs and they are worth well over $100 each. Great value taken from Heritage Auction.

More of the Same

All US Nickels

Jefferson Nickels 1938 To 1965

Most Valuable Coins by Type...

[Top of Page]

**When we say that 19,496,000, of these coins were produced or minted in 1938 this number doesn't always match the actual circulation count for this coin. The numbers come from the United States mint, and they don't reflect coins that have been melted, destroyed, or those that have never been released. Please keep that in mind.

[Top of Page]

***Price subject to standard supply and demand laws, dealer premiums, and other market variations. Prices represent past values fetched at online auctions, estate sales, certified coins being sold by dealers, and user submitted values. While we wholeheartedly try to give honest price estimates there are many factors besides appearance, metal content, and rarity that help make up the coins overall value.Call or visit your local coin dealer for more information.

We use user submitted pictures please read that article if you are interested in adding your own.

[Top of Page]

• 1938 Buffalo Nickel

Coin Info

1938 Nickel Jefferson

With the Buffalo nickel series winding down and a contest already opened for artists to submit designs for the proposed Jefferson nickel, Buffaloes were made in small quantities in 1938. In fact, only the Denver mint struck Buffalo nickels in 1938, with a total mintage of 7,020,000. Despite their relatively small mintage figure, 1938 Buffalo nickels are not generally considered all that scarce, and can be had for about $5 in the lower circulated grades. Even in Mint State 60, the value of a 1938-D Buffalo nickel is only around $35.

There is one significant die variation for 1938-D Buffalo nickels, and that is the 1938-D D-over-S variety. Interestingly, the 1938-D D-over-S Buffalo nickel was the first repunched mintmark U.S. coin variety to have ever been discovered, and caused much excitement in the numismatic community when these coins were first publicized in 1962. Despite the novelty of the 1938-D D-over-S nickel, they are not very expensive to buy, at only $6 in Good-4 and $60 in Mint State 60. There were no proof Buffalo nickels made in 1938 – the brand new Jefferson nickel took the honor of representing five-cent coins among the proof offerings of that year.

1938 Nickel Error