1953 Jefferson Nickel
Base
About This Coin
The 1953 Jefferson Nickel is a United States nickel from the Jefferson Nickels Original Design 1938-2003 series — 16th of 66 years in the series. In 1953, coins were struck at the San Francisco, Denver, and Philadelphia Mints with a combined mintage of 125.9 million. This ranks 9th 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. San Francisco produced its second-lowest nickel mintage of the decade. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel, weighing 5 grams, 21.2 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have cataloged 42 known die varieties for this date across 6 categories, including cud, doubled die obverse, doubled die reverse and 3 other types. Produced 3 years after the celebrated 1950 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $0 to $56 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $3.4K in MS67 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.
