Have a 1947 nickel and want to know how much it’s worth?
First of all, you should definitely hold onto any 1947 nickels you find — because they’re worth more than face value.
That’s right… These old nickels are valuable!
But not all 1947 Jefferson nickels have the same value.
While a regular 1947 nickel that you find in loose change is going to be worth a little bit over face value, there are quite a few rare and valuable 1947 nickels can also be found — and they’re worth many thousands of dollars.
In this article you will learn:
- How much your 1947 nickel is worth
- Which rare 1947 nickel errors are worth looking for (and how to spot them)
- 3 tips for finding valuable 1947 nickels in circulation
All 1947 Nickel Values
If you’ve been looking for 1947 Jefferson nickel values on the Internet, chances are you’ve found a range of information that has left you feeling even more confused about what your nickel is really worth.
Some websites will tell you old Jefferson nickels are worth only face value. And others will claim that “perfect” ones are worth thousands of dollars.
Adding another wrinkle to the mix is the fact that you’ll find old nickels listed on some retail websites for $5,000 and other crazy high numbers like that.
And none of this helps you determine how much your 1947 nickel is worth! (Besides, is your 1947 nickel really “perfect” anyway?)
Unfortunately, if you found your 1947 nickel in pocket change, it will likely be quite worn. So, even if your coin looks like what some might think is “pretty good”… in numismatic reality it’s still worn, and it definitely won’t be in mint (“perfect”) condition.
So, is your 1947 nickel still worth saving?
Yes! Basically all pre-1960 Jefferson nickels are highly collectible and have at least a small amount of value over face.
How much over face value? Let’s dive deeper…
1947 Nickel Value (no mintmark)
The most common of the three types of 1947 nickels are those from the Philadelphia Mint. These don’t have any mintmark at all — which would be found on the reverse (tails side) of the coin, just to the right of Monticello.
A total of 95,000,000 were struck. And even today, this coin remains common enough that it can be found in circulation from time to time.
In circulated condition, a 1947 nickel with no mintmark is generally worth 10 to 20 cents.
Values for most uncirculated 1947 no mintmark nickels range from about 70 cents to $1.50.
As is the case with most Jefferson nickels from other years, 1947 nickels with Full Steps details near the base of Monticello are worth far more than nickels without this detail.
NOTE: You will not find Full Steps details on worn Jefferson nickels that you pull from spare change. But on uncirculated 1947 nickels that do contain these important details, values can go sky high.
One 1947 no mintmark nickel graded MS67 Full Steps by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) sold for $4,112.50 in a 2014 auction!
1947-D Nickel Value (“D” mintmark)
Not nearly as common as the Philadelphia (no mintmark) 1947 nickel is the one from the Denver Mint that year.
The 1947-D nickel saw a mintage of 37,822,000 pieces — though this isn’t considered a rare coin by any stretch of the imagination.
Even today, there are enough survivors to satisfy coin collector demand, and with enough searching you could find a 1947-D nickel in circulation.
Most circulated examples of the 1947-D that you’ll find in pocket change are worth 25 to 40 cents.
Uncirculated specimens are worth about 80 cents to $2.
The most valuable 1947-D nickel was graded MS68 Full Steps by PCGS and sold for $12,925 in 2020.
1947-S Nickel Value (“S” mintmark)
The scarcest of the three 1947 nickel issues was struck at the San Francisco Mint.
The 1947-S nickel has a mintage of 24,720,000 and is one of the tougher Jefferson nickels to find — though it’s not impossible to spot one in circulation with enough searching.
A circulated 1947-S nickel is worth 35 to 90 cents.
Typical uncirculated specimens sell for $1 to $2.50 apiece.
The all-time record price for a 1947-S nickel is $14,950, which was paid in 2007 for a 1947-S graded by PCGS as MS67 Full Steps.
Next time you find a worn 1947 nickel, don’t just toss it into your spare change jar! In the mid-1950s, a notorious counterfeiter named Francis LeRoy Henning minted more than 300,000 fake nickels across 5 different dates. It is believed that perhaps 100,000 made it into circulation before he was caught and dumped the remaining coins in a river. To spot a 1947 Henning counterfeit, flip the coin over and examine the reverse design. Though Henning used a couple of different reverse dies for this date (meaning some actually lack the famous “looped R” error associated with the Henning nickels), you can still look for a dead giveaway: a porous, “mushy” texture and a soft rim. If you think you have one, place it on a coin scale. While standard 1947 nickels weigh 5.0 grams, Henning’s heavy 1947 fake nickels typically tip the scales at 5.3 to 5.4 grams. Because the 1947 “off-date” fakes are incredibly rare and highly sought after by collectors, a genuine specimen can easily command $300+ today on markets like eBay!
IMPORTANT: What Is The Grade Of Your Nickel?
To determine the true value of your 1947 Jefferson nickel, you first need to know what condition (or grade) your coin is in.
These are the best coin grading apps that make grading coins yourself much easier.
A List Of Rare 1947 Nickel Errors To Look For
Some of the most valuable 1947 nickels are the ones that were never intended to be made!
There is a wide variety of 1947 nickel errors and varieties worth looking for, and we’re going to examine a few of them here…
1947 Doubled Die Nickel Error
There aren’t any major 1947 nickel doubled die errors worth thousands of dollars that are currently known to exist. But do keep your eyes peeled for minor doubled dies on 1947 nickels that involve:
- Jefferson’s eye on the obverse (heads side)
- The inscriptions “MONITCELLO” and/or “FIVE CENTS” on the reverse
- Hub doubling of other lettering on the coin
Those are the spots where doubling is most frequently encountered on the Jefferson nickel.
If you find any doubling on a nickel, be sure to hold onto it as these can be worth anywhere from $25 to $50 apiece… or more!
1947 Repunched Mintmark Nickel Error
There are countless varieties known that involve the mintmark on Jefferson nickels, and this is certainly the case with the 1947 nickel!
A repunched mintmark variety arises when the mintmark (which back in the 1940s was individually handpunched onto working dies) was incorrectly positioned and, thus, had to be repunched. This sometimes resulted in the doubling of a mintmark or the overlaying of one mintmark upon another at different angles.
Repunched mintmark varieties vary in value — depending on how drastic the error is or how many times the mintmark had been punched.
Most 1947 repunched mintmark nickels are worth $3 to $10.
1947 Off Center Nickel Error
One of the most popular types of strike errors occurs when a coin is struck off-center. This results in some portion of the coin design missing — usually in a crescent-shaped area on both the obverse and reverse sides of the coin.
Values for off-center 1947 nickels vary, depending on how much of the design is missing and whether or not the entire date and mintmark are visible.
The most valuable type of 1947 off-center nickel is about 50% off center yet still shows the complete date and mintmark (if applicable). Such a coin could trade for $100 or more.
Most 1947 off-center nickels are only 5% to 10% off-center and are worth close to $10 or so.
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