Basic Nickel Terms

Nickel

A nickel is the common name for the United States five-cent coin. The name comes from the metal nickel, which has been part of the standard five-cent coin composition for much of the denomination’s history.

Five-Cent Coin

The official denomination of a nickel is five cents. Earlier U.S. five-cent coins included silver half dimes before the copper-nickel Shield nickel began the modern nickel tradition.

Numismatics

Numismatics is the study and collecting of coins, paper money, medals, and related objects. Nickel collecting is one area within U.S. numismatics.

Coinage

Coinage refers to coins issued by a government or mint. U.S. nickel coinage includes Shield nickels, Liberty Head nickels, Buffalo nickels, Jefferson nickels, and modern commemorative-style nickel designs.

Legal Tender

Legal tender means a coin is officially recognized as money for payment. U.S. nickels remain legal tender even when older examples are worth more than face value to collectors.

Nickel Series Terms

Shield Nickel

The Shield nickel was struck from 1866 through 1883 and was the first U.S. copper-nickel five-cent coin.

Liberty Head Nickel

The Liberty Head nickel, often called the V nickel, was struck for regular circulation from 1883 through 1912.

V Nickel

V nickel is the common nickname for the Liberty Head nickel because the reverse features a large Roman numeral V, meaning five.

Buffalo Nickel

The Buffalo nickel was struck from 1913 through 1938 and features a Native American portrait on the obverse and an American bison on the reverse.

Indian Head Nickel

Indian Head nickel is another name for the Buffalo nickel, based on the Native American portrait on the obverse.

Jefferson Nickel

The Jefferson nickel began in 1938 and features Thomas Jefferson. Most issues show Monticello on the reverse.

Westward Journey Nickel

The Westward Journey nickel series includes special 2004 and 2005 Jefferson nickel designs honoring the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Parts of a Nickel

Obverse

The obverse is the front of a coin. On Jefferson nickels, the obverse features Thomas Jefferson. On Buffalo nickels, it features a Native American portrait.

Reverse

The reverse is the back of a coin. Nickel reverses have included a shield, Roman numeral V, buffalo, Monticello, and Westward Journey designs.

Rim

The rim is the raised outer border of the coin. It helps protect the design and can be important when identifying damage or certain mint errors.

Edge

The edge is the outer side of the coin between the obverse and reverse. U.S. nickels normally have a plain edge rather than a reeded edge.

Field

The field is the flat background area around the main raised design elements on a coin.

Device

A device is a raised design element, such as Jefferson’s portrait, Monticello, the buffalo, lettering, or the large V on a Liberty Head nickel.

Monticello

Monticello is Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia home and appears on the reverse of most Jefferson nickels. Its step detail is very important in grading high-quality Jefferson nickels.

Mint and Production Terms

Mint Mark

A mint mark is a small letter showing which U.S. Mint facility produced the coin. Nickel mint marks may include P, D, and S depending on the series and year.

Philadelphia Mint

The Philadelphia Mint produced many U.S. nickels. Some Philadelphia nickels have no mint mark, while wartime silver nickels and later issues may show a P mint mark.

Denver Mint (D)

The Denver Mint uses a D mint mark. Many Buffalo and Jefferson nickels were struck in Denver.

San Francisco Mint (S)

The San Francisco Mint uses an S mint mark and is especially important for proof coinage and selected regular issues.

Mintage

Mintage means the number of coins struck for a specific date, mint, denomination, or issue.

Planchet

A planchet is the blank metal disc that becomes a coin when struck by the dies.

Strike

Strike refers to the act of impressing a coin design into a planchet. It can also describe how sharply the finished coin was made.

Strike Quality

Strike quality describes how fully the design came up when the coin was struck. This is especially important for Buffalo nickels and Full Steps Jefferson nickels.

Business Strike

A business strike is a coin made for regular circulation instead of specially made for collectors.

Proof Coin

A proof coin is a specially made collector coin struck with extra care, often with sharper detail and more reflective surfaces.

Proof Set

A proof set is a set of proof coins issued together by the Mint.

Composition Terms

Copper

Copper is one of the main metals used in standard U.S. nickels. Most nickels are mostly copper despite the nickname “nickel.”

Nickel

Nickel is the metal that gives the five-cent coin its common name. Standard U.S. nickels are usually 25% nickel and 75% copper.

Copper-Nickel

Copper-nickel refers to the alloy used for most U.S. nickels. Shield, Liberty Head, Buffalo, and most Jefferson nickels share this basic composition.

Wartime Silver Nickel

A wartime silver nickel is a Jefferson nickel struck from part of 1942 through 1945 with a special silver-containing composition. These coins have a large mint mark above Monticello.

Silver Coin

A silver coin is a coin made partly or mostly of silver. Wartime silver nickels contain silver but are still five-cent coins.

Grading Terms

Grade

Grade is the measure of a coin’s condition. It reflects wear, detail, luster, strike, surfaces, and eye appeal.

Coin Grading

Coin grading is the process of evaluating a coin’s condition and assigning a grade.

Wear

Wear is the loss of detail caused by circulation and handling.

Very Good (VG)

Very Good (VG) is a lower circulated grade where major design outlines remain, but the coin is heavily worn.

Very Fine (VF)

Very Fine (VF) is a circulated grade with moderate wear and stronger remaining detail.

Uncirculated

Uncirculated means the coin shows no wear from circulation, although it may still have marks or weak strike.

Mint State (MS)

Mint State (MS) describes an uncirculated coin on the numerical grading scale.

Luster

Luster is the original shine or reflective quality created during minting.

Surface Preservation

Surface preservation refers to how clean and original a coin’s surfaces remain without major marks, scratches, cleaning, corrosion, or other problems.

Eye Appeal

Eye appeal is the overall visual attractiveness of a coin.

Slab

A slab is a sealed plastic holder used by third-party grading companies to certify and protect a coin.

Jefferson Nickel Terms

Full Steps

Full Steps refers to Jefferson nickels with complete, uninterrupted step detail at the base of Monticello. This designation is especially important for uncirculated Jefferson nickels.

Monticello Steps

Monticello steps are the horizontal lines at the base of Monticello on the reverse of Jefferson nickels. Strong step detail can greatly affect collector demand.

Wartime Nickel

A wartime nickel is a Jefferson nickel made from part of 1942 through 1945 using the special silver-containing wartime alloy.

Large Mint Mark

Large mint mark refers to the oversized mint mark placed above Monticello on wartime silver Jefferson nickels.

Westward Journey

Westward Journey refers to the 2004 and 2005 Jefferson nickel design program that honored the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Buffalo Nickel Terms

Type 1 Buffalo Nickel

The 1913 Type 1 Buffalo nickel shows the buffalo standing on a raised mound. This original reverse design wore quickly near the denomination.

Type 2 Buffalo Nickel

The 1913 Type 2 Buffalo nickel changed the reverse so the buffalo stood on a flatter line and the denomination was placed in a recessed area.

Full Horn

Full horn refers to strong horn detail on the buffalo. It is an important grading feature for higher-grade circulated Buffalo nickels.

Dateless Buffalo Nickel

A dateless Buffalo nickel is a heavily worn example where the date has disappeared or become unreadable because of circulation wear.

Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel

The Three-Legged Buffalo nickel is the famous 1937-D variety where excessive die polishing removed most of one buffalo leg.

Overdate

An overdate is a variety where traces of an earlier date appear beneath the final date. The 1918/7-D Buffalo nickel is the classic nickel example.

Error and Variety Terms

Error

Error means a mistake that happened during the minting process.

Variety

Variety means a repeatable difference caused by the die itself.

Double Die

Double die describes a die variety with visible doubling caused during the die-making process.

Off-Center Strike

Off-center strike means the planchet was not properly centered when struck, leaving part of the design missing.

Clipped Planchet

A clipped planchet is a coin blank with part of the metal missing before the coin was struck.

Broadstrike

A broadstrike happens when a coin is struck without the collar properly containing the metal, causing the coin to spread outward.

Die Crack

A die crack is a raised line on the coin caused by a crack in the die.

Cud

A cud is a larger die break, often near the rim, where part of the die has broken away.

Strike-Through

A strike-through occurs when a foreign object or substance comes between the die and the planchet during striking.

Collecting Terms

Key Date

A key date is one of the most important or difficult coins in a series.

Type Coin

A type coin is one representative example of a major design type rather than every date in a series.

Roll Hunting

Roll hunting means searching rolls or boxes of coins for better dates, errors, varieties, older coins, or silver coins.

Date-and-Mintmark Set

A date-and-mintmark set is a collection built by obtaining one coin from each year and mint combination in a series.

Proof Set

A proof set includes specially made proof coins issued together for collectors.

World Coins

World coins are coins from countries outside the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a five-cent coin called a nickel?

It is called a nickel because nickel metal is part of the standard copper-nickel composition used for most U.S. five-cent coins.

Are all nickels made of nickel?

No. Most U.S. nickels are made of 75% copper and 25% nickel. Wartime silver nickels used a different composition that included silver.

What does Full Steps mean?

Full Steps means the steps at the base of Monticello on a Jefferson nickel are complete and uninterrupted.

What is a wartime silver nickel?

A wartime silver nickel is a Jefferson nickel struck from part of 1942 through 1945 using a special silver-containing alloy.

What is the most famous Buffalo nickel variety?

The 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo nickel is one of the most famous Buffalo nickel varieties.