2021-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof
Proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 513,866 made
- Mintage
- 513,866
- 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 2021-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 2021-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 513,866 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 2021-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 2021 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 2021-S Return to Monticello Nickel proofs were made?
- 513,866.
What to check on your 2021-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 2021-P (773 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 2021 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 2021-S
Sharp swings in output (2021 to 2025)
Production stayed near 770 to 800 million at each mint in 2021 and 2022, then eased in 2023. In 2024 output dropped sharply to 79.9 million at Philadelphia and 32.9 million at Denver, with Denver even lower than its 2009 recession figure. The Denver total is the smallest for that mint in the Return to Monticello series by a wide margin.
In 2025 the Mint ended cent production. Nickel output rose again to 443.8 million at Philadelphia and 322.3 million at Denver. The cost to make a nickel remained well above five cents through these years. Proofs from San Francisco continued, with mintages falling to around 300,000 by 2025. Circulating coins are common, but the low mintage 2024 issues are worth setting aside when found.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2021
The America the Beautiful quarter program ended and a new reverse showing General Washington crossing the Delaware took its place. Morgan and Peace dollars were struck again for their centennial.
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 | 2021 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 513,866 |
| 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 2021 Return to Monticello Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-P Return to Monticello Nickel | 772,780,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2021-D Return to Monticello Nickel | 798,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2021-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof | 513,866 | 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.