1974 Nickel Value (Errors List, “D”, “S” & No Mint Mark Worth)

Jefferson nickels commemorate our nation’s 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson, a popular Founding Father. Because 1974 nickels are so common, many are collected primarily for this sentimental value rather than for high monetary worth.

However, a coin’s value can change dramatically based on its condition and specific features. A standard 1974 (P) nickel in Mint State (MS) might be worth around $7, but a rare MS example with “Full Steps” commands a value of over $176. Collectors also seek out the 1974-S proof nickels, which were specially struck in San Francisco for collector sets.

This guide will answer your pressing questions about the 1974 nickel value. You will discover this coin’s interesting history, unique features, grading tips, and odd errors that can significantly increase your coin’s value.

 

1974 Nickel Value By Variety

The 1974 nickel’s value ranges from face value (5 cents) for common circulation strikes to several dollars for mint state examples. If you know the grade of your coin, you can find the exact price below in the Value Guides section.

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Jefferson Nickels Worth Money List (1938-Present)

 

Top 10 Most Valuable 1974 Nickel Worth Money

With hundreds of millions minted, these coins hold minimal intrinsic rarity—their value derives entirely from grade.

Philadelphia-mint strikes are notoriously soft, making Full Steps designations exceptionally scarce and driving the chart-topping MS67 to $4,230. Similarly, the 1974-S PR70 at $3,819 represents proof perfection—zero flaws, maximum eye appeal.

A common-date 1974 nickel transitions from face value to four-figure territory purely through preservation quality. For this issue, strike sharpness and surface perfection aren’t premium features—they’re the entire value proposition. Professional grading becomes not just advisable but essential when condition alone determines whether a coin is worth 5 cents or $4,000.

 

History of The 1974 Nickel

The 1974 nickel is part of the Jefferson nickel coin series struck by the United States Mint in 1938.

The Jefferson nickel replaced the Buffalo nickel, which, despite being admired today, was quite unpopular in its heydays. This coin was also very difficult and costly to produce, so the Mint was eager to replace it when the chance arose.

The Mint produced the Buffalo nickel between 1913 and 1938. After 25 years of the coin’s production, the Treasury Department did not require congressional approval to replace the Buffalo nickel.

By January 1938, the Mint announced a design competition for a new nickel, portraying Thomas Jefferson on the obverse and his Monticello home on the reverse.  The portrait was to be based on a bust sculpted by Jean-Antoine Houdon preserved at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

After reviewing hundreds of entries, three sculptors and Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross, who acted as the judges, selected Felix Schlag’s design.

After several changes to Schlag’s original design, production of the new coin began in October 1938. The new Jefferson nickels were struck in 75% nickel and 25% copper. The nickel, known as the five cents, is still in circulation, albeit with a few design changes to Jefferson’s portrait.

Also Read: Top 60+ Most Valuable Buffalo Nickels Worth Money

 

Is Your 1974 Nickel Rare?

For detailed information about your coin’s specific variety and current market value, our CoinValueChecker App provides the accurate rarity and value assessment for your coins.

 

Key Features of The 1974 Nickel

Let’s now review the features of the 1974 nickel. Familiarizing yourself with these features is one of the best ways to identify nickels worth money.

The Obverse Of The 1974 Nickel

The obverse of the 1974 is very simple, featuring Thomas Jefferson’s left-facing profile. In the portrait, Jefferson adorns a high-neck jacket and has his hair back in a low ponytail.

Our country’s motto, IN GOD WE TRUST, appears along the rim on the left, while LIBERTY and the year date, 1974, are shown along the rim on the right. A tiny star separates these two inscriptions.

The Reverse Of The 1974 Nickel

The reverse of the 1974 nickel is a bit more detailed. Jefferson’s house, The Monticello, is the most outstanding feature on the reverse.

Notice the flight of stairs leading up to the building. Collectors often base the value of a 1974 nickel on how well the steps are struck or their visibility. Generally, the more visible all the six or five stairs are, the more valuable a Jefferson nickel is considered.

The word MONTICELLO appears below the stairs, underlining the building it takes after. This is followed by the denomination FIVE CENTS. The motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM, appears at the top of the coin along the rim. This motto means ‘’out of one, many.” Directly opposite, at the bottom, is the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Other Features Of The 1974 Nickel

The 1974 nickel is a plain-edged coin struck from 75% copper and 25% nickel. It is a relatively large coin measuring 21.20 millimeters in diameter and weighing 5.00 grams.

Only the 1974 Denver nickels and San Francisco proof nickels have a mint mark on the obverse. Those struck at the Philadelphia Mint do not have a mint mark either on the obverse or reverse.

Also Read: Top 100 Rarest Nickels Worth Money (Most Expensive)

 

1974 Nickel Mintage & Survival Data

The massive 601.7 million Philadelphia strikes and 277.4 million Denver output underscore the Federal Reserve’s inflation-fighting strategy—flooding circulation channels to meet transactional demand as paper currency faced public skepticism.

The “unknown” survival data for circulation strikes isn’t an information gap; it reflects numismatic reality. Decades of pocket change entropy obliterated mint state examples, making gem survivors exponentially scarcer than their astronomical mintages suggest.

In stark contrast, the “S DCAM” (San Francisco Deep Cameo Proof) coins were struck in limited quantities and sold directly to collectors. This high survival rate (81%) reflects the fundamental difference between a utilitarian coin and a numismatic specimen.

Also Read: Jefferson Nickel Value (1938-Present)

 

The Easy Way to Know Your 1974 Nickel Value

1974 Nickel Value Guides

 

1974 No Mint Mark Nickel Value

Philadelphia’s 1974 nickels are notorious for exhibiting weak, soft strikes—a critical manufacturing flaw that defines their collectibility. The design’s opposing high points—Jefferson’s hair details directly opposite Monticello’s third pillar—create metal flow issues during striking, resulting in the majority of Philadelphia nickels exhibiting soft, incomplete step definition on the building’s facade.

The record MS67 Full Steps specimen—one of perhaps three ever certified—sold for $4,230 precisely because achieving sharp architectural detail from Philadelphia’s 1974 dies proved virtually impossible.

Market shows extreme price volatility for the same grade level across different platforms.

Recent activity shows sustained engagement despite the coin’s common-date status.

 

1974-D Nickel Value

The 1974-D nickel bears the ‘D’ mint mark on the obverse, positioned just right of Jefferson’s ponytail below the date, indicating Denver Mint production. These coins are notably characterized by surface quality issues—visible scratches, dents, cuds, and hairline cracks plague many examples, reflecting production inconsistencies despite better overall strike quality than Philadelphia’s output.

Circulated examples trade at face value to twenty cents, while MS67 specimens reach four figures. The auction record stands at $1,495 for an MS67 Full Steps example sold through Heritage in 2010—roughly one-third the value of comparable Philadelphia strikes. Only a handful of MS67 examples exist in certified populations, with just a single MS67+ graded, establishing this as the effective condition ceiling for the variety.

Perfect-grade proofs maintain steady demand with consistent pricing across multiple years. One-point grade difference creates dramatic value separation in the marketplace.

Market activity shows persistent demand spanning multiple years without significant gaps.

 

1974-S DCAM Nickel Value

The ‘S’ mint mark denotes San Francisco Mint production exclusively for annual Proof Sets, never intended for circulation. Unlike Philadelphia and Denver business strikes, the 1974-S features mirror-like fields contrasting with frosted devices.

The ‘DCAM’ (Deep Cameo) designation describes coins where Jefferson’s portrait and Monticello display thick, uniform frost against dark, mirror-black fields—creating maximum visual contrast. This effect requires freshly polished dies and occurs only during the initial strikes before die degradation diminishes the cameo depth.

As the die is used repeatedly, it wears down, and the cameo contrast diminishes, resulting in a standard ‘Cameo’ or a regular proof coin with no cameo effect at all. Therefore, a 1974-S nickel graded as DCAM signifies that it is a product of the highest quality from the very beginning of that year’s production run. The auction record PR70 DCAM specimen fetched $3,819 at Stack’s Bowers in 2015, demonstrating the dramatic value compression between PR69 and absolute perfection.

The following table details its recent auction sales history.

Market shows concentrated activity peaks during specific months, particularly early in the year.

Also Read: 22 Rare Nickel Errors List with Pictures (By Year)

 

Rare 1974 Nickel Error List

The 1974 nickel series doesn’t have as many interesting errors. But, the few known errors are worth good money. Here are some to look out for:

1. 1974 Nickel Struck on a 1973 Nickel

This is one of the most outstanding nickel errors in U.S. coinage history and is recognized as among America’s 100 greatest error coins. This error occurred when a 1974 working die was used to strike a 1973 nickel. The 3 in 1973 can be seen on the reverse next to the M in the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.

This coin is still preserved in its original uncirculated mint set, and its value is estimated to be between $15,000 and $17,500.

2. 1974 Nickel Full Steps

According to the Professional Coin Grading Service, the Full Steps 1974 coin is a sought-after variety in this series. Full Steps refers to the visibility of the Monticello staircases. Coins in which the stairs leading to the house are visible and clear-cut are more desirable and are known as Full Step nickels.

All six steps are visible in some coins, while only five are visible in others. Full Steps is considered a significant variety, even an error, because the flight of stairs on most of the 1974 nickels is not too visible or missing altogether.

Full Step nickels are rare, contributing to the misperception that these are error coins. The good news is that a 1974 coin with a Full Steps designation can fetch as much as $4,230.

 

Where to Sell Your 1974 Nickel?

With your coins’ value established, finding reliable online selling venues becomes the priority. I’ve created a comprehensive overview of trusted sites, highlighting their offerings, advantages, and potential drawbacks.

Check out now: Best Places To Sell Coins Online (Pros & Cons)

 

1974 Nickel Market Trend

*Market Trend Chart showing the number of people paying attention to this coin.

 

FAQ about 1974 Nickel

1. How do I know if my 1974 nickel is valuable?

The nickels struck in 1974 are generally not worth much more than their face value. That said, you can tell a valuable 1974 by several things, such as the condition. Uncirculated, gem-quality nickels with no flaws are the most valuable; if they are certified and graded MS67 and above, they are probably worth hundreds of dollars.

2. Are 1974 nickels rare?

No, 1974 nickels are not rare. Nearly 900 million nickels were produced at the Denver, Philadelphia and San Francisco mints in 1974. These are a lot of coins, making it easy to find 1974 nickels in circulation to date. Due to the high mintage, these coins are not worth much, and you should first do your research before acquiring or trying to sell 1974 nickels for a profit.

3. Where is the mint mark on a 1974 nickel?

Only the nickels struck in Denver and San Francisco in 1974 have a mint mark. This mark appears on the obverse, next to Jefferson’s low-lying ponytail and the four in 1974.