1971 Jefferson Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 106,884,000 made
- Mintage
- 106,884,000
- Metal
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1971 Jefferson Nickel worth?
In circulated condition it's worth face value. Only uncirculated coins with full original luster, or a recognized variety, carry a premium.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full steps on Monticello (5FS or 6FS)
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1971 Jefferson Nickel rare?
- No. 107 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1971 Jefferson Nickel silver?
- No. It's 75% copper, 25% nickel. The only silver nickels are the 1942 to 1945 wartime coins with a large mint mark above Monticello.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1971 Jefferson Nickel?
- On the obverse, near the date. "P" appears from 1980. No mint mark means Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1971 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no Philadelphia issue had a smaller mintage than the 1971.
- How many 1971 Jefferson Nickel coins were made?
- 106,884,000.
What to check on your 1971
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1971-S Jefferson Nickel Proof (3,220,733 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. The steps of Monticello are the key: coins with 5 or 6 full steps (5FS / 6FS) sell for large premiums. On the obverse, check Jefferson's cheekbone and hair.
With 107 million made, the 1971 still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 1971
Philadelphia hadn't struck the Jefferson Nickel since 1967. When it came back in 1971, it made 106,884,000. The next year it made 202 million (1972).
1971-D came to 316 million, so neither mint's 1971 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Philadelphia struck the Jefferson Nickel in 64 issues between 1938 and 2003. By mintage this one lands in the scarcer half, while the key for that mint is the 1955 (7,888,000). No Jefferson Nickel of the 1970s had a smaller run.
Mint marks move to the obverse (1968 to 1979)
When mint marks returned in 1968, they moved to the obverse, just to the right of the date. San Francisco struck circulating nickels from 1968 to 1970, then only proofs from 1971 onward. The 1971 proof nickel without an S, caused by a die that was never punched, is a major rarity, with only about 1,655 reported struck.
Demand grew through the 1970s with inflation. Output at the two main mints sometimes exceeded half a billion. Proofs from 1979 show Filled S and Clear S varieties. The clear S is scarcer. Coins from these years are common, though full steps examples from some Denver dates are hard to find. Many circulated pieces show weak strikes on the steps and on Jefferson's hair, the first places to check.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1971
The Eisenhower dollar was introduced and the Kennedy half dollar changed to copper-nickel clad.
How to recognize it
Felix Schlag's portrait shows Thomas Jefferson facing left with IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY and the date. The reverse shows the front of Monticello, Jefferson's home, with MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS below. The mint mark was to the right of the building until 1964 (above the dome on wartime silver nickels) and moved to the obverse, near the date, in 1968. Schlag's initials FS were added below the bust in 1966.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Jefferson Nickel (1938–2003) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 106,884,000 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Felix Schlag |
Other 1971 Jefferson Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 Jefferson Nickel | 106,884,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1971-D Jefferson Nickel | 316,144,800 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1971-S Jefferson Nickel Proof | 3,220,733 | Proof | – |
Mintage: United States nickel mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.