2008-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof
Proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 2,169,561 made
- Mintage
- 2,169,561
- 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 2008-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2008-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 2,169,561 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 2008-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof 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 2008 Return to Monticello Nickel?
- On the obverse, below the date (P, D or S). On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 2008-S Return to Monticello Nickel proofs were made?
- 2,169,561.
What to check on your 2008-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2008-P (280 million made).
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the steps of Monticello and Jefferson's cheek. Fully struck coins with five or six steps sell for premiums in high grades.
Proofs from 2008 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 2008-S
Forward-facing Jefferson and the 2009 drop (2006 to 2009)
In 2006 the Return to Monticello nickel brought back Felix Schlag's Monticello, re-engraved with sharper detail, paired with a new obverse by Jamie Franki showing Jefferson facing forward. The portrait is based on an 1800 painting by Rembrandt Peale. Liberty appears in Jefferson's handwriting. Satin finish coins were included in mint sets. Output in 2006 passed 1.5 billion combined.
Rising metal prices pushed the cost of making a nickel above face value by 2006. The Mint restricted melting of nickels at the end of that year. The Great Recession then cut demand sharply. Output in 2009 fell to 39.8 million at Philadelphia and 46.8 million at Denver, the lowest since the 1950s. As a result 2009 nickels turn up in change far less often than other modern dates.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2008
The 50 State Quarters program ended with Hawaii. The Lincoln Memorial cent was struck for the last time.
How to recognize it
Jamie Franki's obverse shows Jefferson facing forward, with LIBERTY in his handwriting and the date and mint mark below. The reverse returns to the front view of Monticello with MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS beneath and E PLURIBUS UNUM above.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Return to Monticello Nickel (2006–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 2,169,561 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Jamie Franki (obverse); Felix Schlag (reverse, re-engraved) |
Other 2008 Return to Monticello Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-P Return to Monticello Nickel | 279,840,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-D Return to Monticello Nickel | 345,600,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2008-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof | 2,169,561 | 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.