2004-D Peace Medal Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 372,000,000 made
- Mintage
- 372,000,000
- 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 2004-D Peace Medal Nickel worth?
A worn 2004-D Peace Medal is a spender: face value. A bright uncirculated one, or one with a known error, is worth setting aside.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2004-D Peace Medal Nickel rare?
- No. 372 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 2004-D Peace Medal 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 2004 Westward Journey Nickel?
- On the obverse: near the date on 2004 coins and just above the date, below LIBERTY, on 2005 coins (P, D or S). On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- How many 2004-D Peace Medal Nickel coins were made?
- 372,000,000.
What to check on your 2004-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2004-P (361 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 2004-S Peace Medal Nickel Proof (2,992,069 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. Modern nickels are graded on luster and strike. Look for weakness on the reverse devices and for contact marks across Jefferson's cheek.
With 372 million made, the 2004-D 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 2004-D Peace Medal
Denver made 372,000,000 of the Peace Medal coin. That was the biggest Denver run of the 2 designs issued in 2004; Keelboat had the smallest at 345 million.
Philadelphia struck a similar number of the same design (361 million), so neither mint's version is much harder to find.
Lewis and Clark on the nickel (2004 to 2005)
The Westward Journey nickels marked the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. In 2004 two reverses used the original obverse. The Peace Medal by Norman E. Nemeth was based on medals given to tribal leaders, while the Keelboat by Al Maletsky shows the expedition's boat. The American 5-Cent Coin Design Continuity Act of 2003 required the Monticello reverse to return after the series.
In 2005 a new obverse by Joe Fitzgerald showed Jefferson facing right with Liberty in his handwriting. The American Bison reverse by Jamie Franki and the Ocean in View reverse by Fitzgerald completed the series. The 2005-D Bison has a die gouge variety called the Speared Bison. Satin finish coins came in 2005 mint sets. Many were saved, so uncirculated coins are plentiful.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2004
The Westward Journey nickels began, marking the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition.
How to recognize it
The Peace Medal design
Two clasped hands appear on this reverse, one with a military cuff and one with a bracelet, beneath a crossed tomahawk and peace pipe. The inscriptions LOUISIANA PURCHASE and 1803 mark the bicentennial of the land deal. The design is based on the Jefferson peace medals that Lewis and Clark gave to Native American leaders as tokens of friendship. Mint sculptor Norman E. Nemeth adapted the design. It was the first of the four Westward Journey nickels, issued in 2004.
The Westward Journey Nickel design
Four reverses marked the Lewis and Clark expedition: the Peace Medal with clasped hands and the Keelboat in 2004 and the American Bison and the Pacific coast "Ocean in view" design in 2005. The 2005 coins also introduced a close-up portrait of Jefferson facing right, with LIBERTY written in his own handwriting.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Westward Journey Nickel (2004–2005) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 372,000,000 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Various (Norman E. Nemeth, Al Maletsky, Jamie Franki, Joe Fitzgerald) |
Other 2004 Westward Journey Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-P Peace Medal Nickel | 361,440,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2004-P Keelboat Nickel | 366,720,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2004-D Peace Medal Nickel | 372,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2004-D Keelboat Nickel | 344,880,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2004-S Peace Medal Nickel Proof | 2,992,069 | Proof | – |
| 2004-S Keelboat Nickel Proof | 2,965,422 | 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.