Do you know how much does a silver nickel weigh? If not, don’t worry – you’re not alone!
In this blog post, we will discuss the weight of silver nickels and why it matters.
We will also provide some tips on how to weigh silver nickels accurately.
How Much Does a Silver Nickel Weigh?
The weight of a silver nickel is 5 grams. The nickel’s weight changes as it is circulated. The accumulation of dirt in the grooves can affect the weight of a nickel coin. The nickel has a cost of seven cents.
Each current nickel is 5.000 grams (0.176 ounces) in weight. Jefferson nickels have been produced since 1938 and are known as modern nickels. Copper makes up about 75% of their composition, whereas nickel makes up 25%.
The government created 35% silver Jefferson War Nickels from 1942 to 1945, although these coins still weigh exactly 5 grams. There were several nickel variants even before the Jefferson nickels, including the Liberty Head V nickel, Washington nickel, Buffalo nickel, and Shield nickel.
The fantastic thing here is these different nickel series also weigh 5 grams.
How much does a 1964 nickel weigh?
I knew you’d ask me that. Since all nickel series mentioned above have similar weights, it’s no surprise that 1964 nickel also weighs 5 grams with a diameter of 21.21 mm.
According to Wikipedia, since 1938, when it overtook the Buffalo nickel as the five-cent coin issued by the United States Mint, the Jefferson nickel has remained the coin of choice. The Jefferson nickel, drawn by Felix Schlag, shows a portrait of Thomas Jefferson looking left on the front and Jefferson’s home, Monticello, on the back.
A Brief History of 1964 Nickel
The 1964 Jefferson Nickel was the first nickel ever minted in over a billion coins. The Philadelphia US mint produced about 1,024,672,000 1964 Jefferson Nickels.
The significant spike in the 1964 Jefferson Nickel production was due to the lack of other coins because of early 1960s silver hoarding. Jefferson Nickels led to bad minting strikes in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The poor condition was mainly due to the head used to strike the coins not having as fine a detail as earlier. Because of this flaw, most 1964 Jefferson Nickels appear “weak” with the features looking flat and deformed.
What are the features of the 1964 Jefferson nickel?
The 1964 Jefferson nickel has different features with different meanings. Below are brief descriptions of the nickel’s obverse, reverse, and edge so you can know more about these features.
Obverse
The obverse features a left-facing bust of President Thomas Jefferson with a colonial pigtail that closely resembles Jean-Antoine Houdon’s 1789 bust. The top of his head barely reaches the rim, while a sliver of Jefferson’s left shoulder reaches the coin’s border.
The inscription “IN GOD WE TRUST” arcs clockwise down the left side of the coin, coming at Jefferson’s chest and finishing at his hairline. Behind Jefferson, LIBERTY and 1964 go clockwise around the right side. A five-pointed star separates the two phrases.
Reverse
The frontline perspective of the President’s elegant home, Monticello, appears on the reverse of the coin. The President based his physical house on Italian Renaissance architectural style. The house is in the center of the obverse face, with the word “MONTICELLO” written underneath it.
The phrase “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” which reads clockwise, appears in the upper margin. The coin’s denomination (FIVE CENTS) curves beneath the phrase “MONTICELLO.” Additional writing, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” extends clockwise around the lower edge underneath the coin’s face value.
What are the mint marks of the 1964 Jefferson nickel?
The mint mark is an important identifying characteristic that indicates the origin of the mint that struck the coin. On the reverse side of all Jefferson Nickel coins produced between 1938 and 1964 are mint markings.
The mint mark is an important identifying characteristic that indicates the origin of the mint that struck the coin. You can see the mint mark near the President’s Monticello on the far right side of the coin. The “D” mint mark is perhaps the most common on the 1964 Jefferson nickel (Denver).
Unfortunately, there is no mint mark on 1964 Jefferson nickels made at the Philadelphia mint.
How can you tell if a nickel is silver?
The most basic way to identify if a nickel is made of silver is to look at the mint year. Some 1942 nickels lack silver. Look for a large mint mark on the back of the coin to ensure that it is silver. The reverse of the coin features the Jefferson Memorial.
The mint mark was just above Monticello on the reverse of the silver nickels. The alteration was done to make these coins more clearly identified, as the original intention was to phase them out of circulation once the copper-nickel alloy could be reintroduced. However, this removal never occurred, and silver nickels continued to circulate.
How much is a silver nickel worth?
A regular wartime nickel contains .05626 ounces of silver. When silver is worth $15 per ounce, a war nickel carries around 84 cents of silver.
Take note that the price of silver changes constantly. This means that the exact base value of a circulating, business-strike silver nickel in the absence of any unique variants changes from time to time.
Uncirculated and proof samples, like with other coins, are worth more. The same is accurate about unique pieces that include a range of features. On the subject of Jefferson silver nickels, pieces with the Full Steps feature at the base of Monticello on the reverse offer added value. Date, class, and variety are the three breakdowns to determine the value of silver Jefferson nickels.
What are the factors in determining the value of the 1964 Jefferson nickel?
Images indicating grades are reviewed to determine significant and minor changes in the level of wear. Checking critical points of the design suggests the surface’s remaining condition and is used to evaluate wear development. In short, grading determines the surface quality of this coin.
Full Steps
Many coin collectors like a full step characteristic since it redefines its worth. Because full step 1964 Jefferson nickel coins are rare, they are in great demand. If you have one, it will be worth 10 times or more than it would be otherwise.
Condition
The value of Jefferson nickels depends on their condition, and those in excellent condition with new, original characteristics seem to be the most valuable. Below are the different condition levels you should consider when grading your coin:
- Good
- Fine
- Extremely Fine
- Uncirculated
Conclusion
The total weight of all nickels will be 5 grams. Many individuals use nickels to adjust their scales since each current nickel weighs 5 grams. You may weigh a coin on your scale and then record the result.
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