1948 Jefferson Nickel
Base
About This Coin
The 1948 Jefferson Nickel is a United States nickel from the Jefferson Nickels Original Design 1938-2003 series — an early issue, 11th of 66 years in the series. In 1948, coins were struck at the Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco Mints with a combined mintage of 145.4 million. This ranks 11th of 66 years by total mintage, below the series median of 617.5 million. The obverse features Thomas Jefferson facing left and the reverse displays Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate. All three mints produced nickels. Denver and San Francisco mintages were modest compared to Philadelphia. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 21.2 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have cataloged 32 known die varieties for this date across 3 categories, including doubled die obverse, doubled die reverse, repunched mint mark. Struck two years before the 1950 key date, the lowest-mintage regular issue in the series. Across its variants, estimated values range from $0 to $25 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $2.2K in MS68 grade at eBay. Designed by Felix Schlag.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
