Some coins are extremely rare and valuable. However, only a few are intriguing as well.
A 1964 Special Strike Jefferson Nickels is such a coin. It is one of the most mysterious coins ever minted in the USA.
Only a few dozen sets of Special Strike coins were struck in 1964. Being so rare, they cost a fortune.
So, how much is a 1964 nickel Special strike worth?
I bet you are eager to find out! Let’s do it right away!
How Much Is a 1964 Nickel Special Strike?
1964 Nickel Special Strike coins, also known as Special l Mint Sets (SMS), are worth $1450 to $4250. 1964 SMS Full Step (FS) coins are worth $1650 to $8500, depending on their grade.
As you can see, Special Strike Jefferson Nickels are all worth a small fortune.
The final price depends on numerous factors, most importantly on the grade, the coin has been given by one of the two most reputable companies in the numismatic community: the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC).
1964 Nickel No Mint Mark Special Strike Value
| PCGS Coin Grade | Value |
| 63 | $1450 |
| 63+ | $1500 |
| 64 | $1650 |
| 64+ | $1750 |
| 65 | $2100 |
| 65+ | $2250 |
| 66 | $2750 |
| 66+ | $3000 |
| 67 | $4250 |
| 67+ | $5500 |
| 68 | $11000 |
The record price was achieved by the 1964 Jefferson Nickel. SMS. Specimen-68 FS (PCGS). In August 2021, it was sold by Stack’s Bowers firm at the ANA U.S. Coins Auction for an amazing $31200.
1964 SMS FS Nickel Value
| PCGS Coin Grade | Value |
| 63 | $1650 |
| 63+ | $1850 |
| 64 | $2250 |
| 64+ | $2500 |
| 65 | $3000 |
| 65+ | $3500 |
| 66 | $6500 |
| 66+ | $7000 |
| 67 | $8500 |
| 67+ | $20000 |
| 68 | $22500 |
The auction record for the 1964 FS Special Strike Jefferson Nickel was $32,900. The coin bore SP68FS PCGS grade and was sold on June 1st. 2016 at Heritage Auctions.
How To Identify 1964 SMS Nickel?
1964 SMS nickels feature Thomas Jefferson’s portrait on their front and his Monticello residence on the back. They can have no mint mark or a D mint mark on the far-right side at the back of the coin.
The 1964 SMS Nickel coins were designed by Felix Schlag. Their diameter is 21.20 millimeters, and they weigh 5.00 grams each. They are made of 75% Copper and 25% Nickel.
The 1964 Special Strike Jefferson Nickels differentiate from “ordinary” 1964 nickels by:
- Extremely sharp strike
- Very strong coinage
- Sharp and square edge rims
- Satin surface
History of 1964 Nickel Special Strike Coins
164 SMS Jefferson nickel coins have remained unknown to the public for almost three decades after they had been made. To this day, no one has established the exact reason why these coins were minted in the first place.
The fact that nobody knew these coins existed for so long makes them one of the most intriguing. So, how and where did they come up nearly 30 years after they had been minted?
In 1993, these coins were introduced at an auction as a part of the private collection of Lester Merkin cosigned to Stacks. The collection included several specimens of the same quality.
All the 1964 SMS coins on the market have most likely originated from the very same Lester Merkin collection. No one knows with certainty how many of these coins there are, but it is believed that there are only one or two dozen examples.
Never before or after have all the existing special strike coins appeared on the market at once. Lester Merkin’s 1964 special strike coin collection is unique in that regard.
So, who was this gentleman?
Lester Merkin was a well-known coin dealer. He was born in 1916 and entered the coin trade in 1958. Throughout his career, he had remained renowned for the highest class of ethics. His contribution to professional numismatics is highly praised to this very day.
There is no doubt that Lester Merkin had acquired some great coins over the course of his professional career, but the 1964 SMS coins are definitely the most enigmatic of all his coins.
Most probably, Lester Merkin purchased these unique coins from his friend Eva Adams. Eva was the Director of the U.S. Mint from 1961 to 1969.
Why were the 1964 SMS coins made and given into the hands of Lester Merkin?
No one knows. It is a complete mystery why Special Strike Jefferson Nickels dated 1964 were ever minted.
As I have already mentioned, nobody knew these coins existed up to their appearance at a Stacks Coin Auction in 1993. It is interesting to know that all other denominations with the Special Strike status appeared in the same auction, too.
No 1964 Jefferson Nickel SMS graded MS68 has ever been seen on public sale. However, there were three copies in MS67 quality listed by PCGS. The 1964 SMS MS67 coin that reached the maximum price was sold in 2004 for $4140.
It took six years for another copy to reach the market. It was sold for $2300.
History of 1964 SMS Full Steps Coins
The FS-type coins are part of the same collection, but they are even rarer than the Jefferson Nickel 1964 SMS coins. For this reason, coin collectors are willing to pay a small fortune for them.
1964 SMS FS coins are characterized by perfect minting. They display perfectly preserved entrance steps of President Jefferson’s residential building on the back.
There are only seven SP68-grade coins of this type listed in PCGS. The record value an SP68 has reached so far is $32,900.
If you happen to own this valuable coin, you probably sell it for $8,625 to $32,900, too. The only
SP67+grade ever registered for sale has recently been auctioned for $22,800.
Final Words
The chances of finding a 1964 Special Strike Nickel are very slim. If you want one, you have to break your bank.
It doesn’t hurt to know the value of a 1964 SMS coin, though. Who knows what our future holds?
So, please help share this article. If you have any comments or questions, use the comment section below. I am eager to hear from you!
Is there someplace or someone in the Seattle Washington area that is really trustworthy for someone who doesn’t know very much about coins