PARRIS ISLAND COINS » 1958 Nickel Value: How Much Is It Worth Today?

1958 Nickel Value: How Much Is It Worth Today?

1958 Nickel Value

A 1958 nickel is not particularly rare, but many of these coins are worth more than their face value due to the age of the coin, rarity of certain mint marks, or errors that occurred during production. While they’re usually pursued to finish certain collections, the 1958 nickel also does well on its own.

Well-worn 1958 nickels are only worth their face value, but those with few marks and those that closely resemble their original appearance are worth $0.43 to $2 or more. Proof 1958 nickels sell for about $5 to $12.

While this range reflects the market price for the coins, many of a higher grade sell at auction for hundreds or even thousands. Keep reading to learn how to distinguish the different type, determine general coin grade, and notice any rare errors from this year.

1958 Nickel Value Chart

Mint Mark Good Fine Extremely Fine Uncirculated Proof
1958 No Mint Mark Nickel Value $0.05 $0.05 $0.05 $0.43 to $2.00 /
1958 D Nickel Value $0.05 $0.05 $0.05 $0.43 to $2.00 /
1958 Proof Nickel Value / / / / $5.00 to $12.00+

The 1958 nickel came out halfway through the Jefferson nickel run that features Felix Schlag’s designs on the front and the back.

Third President Thomas Jefferson is the face of the coin, and Schlag’s profile rendition of him looks to the left. The right rim reads LIBERTY and 1958 with a star separating the two. The other side has IN GOD WE TRUST inscribed.

Schlag placed Monticello on the reverse, the famed mansion of Thomas Jefferson. Coins from this year rarely strike the coin well enough to have five or six steps on the home, and professional grading services have special designations for these coins.

The back of the coin hosts common coinage inscriptions, including E PLURIBUS UNUM across the top, FIVE CENTS below Monticello, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA nestled into the bottom rim.

The 1958 nickel fits in with other Jefferson nickels and has no unique features for this year. All are made with a 75 percent copper, 25 percent nickel “cupronickel” alloy (despite their name and silver appearance).

All 186,212,772 nickels minted in 1958 are round with a plain edge, a 21.2 mm diameter, and a thickness of 1.95 mm. Because they contain no silver, they weigh 5 grams.

1958 No Mint Mark Nickel Value

1958 No Mint Mark Nickel Value
Credit: usacoinbook

Nineteen fifty-eight was one of the rare years where the Philadelphia mint produced the fewest number of circulating nickels. While Philadelphia is the main U.S. mint, it only put out 17,088,000 nickels that year, making these particular coins populous but more rare.

The 1958 nickels are still in pockets today, and well-worn coins are not worth much more than their face value. It isn’t until you find coins that preserve more details than they lost that you see a premium on the original value of the coin.

New collectors may pay a small premium on an “Extremely Fine” coin if they don’t yet have one, but they’re still easy enough to find in pocket change. Even “Uncirculated” 1958 nickels are still well-populated, and they only sell for about $.043 to $2 at market.

The current auction record for the 1958 no mint mark nickel is graded MS66+ Full Steps by PCG. The coin, considered the single finest Full Step 1958 nickel from either grading service, sold for $13,512.50 in 2019.

The sales stabilize more when you look at lesser examples, like an MS66+ that sold without Full Steps for $588 or an MS66 with Full Steps that sold for $456 in 2022.

1958 D Nickel Value

1958 D Nickel Value

In 1958, the Denver mint produced a far greater number of nickels than the Philadelphia mint, and it put 168,249,120 into circulation.

Because of this, few 1958 D nickels are worth anything more than their face value. Well-worn coins and even those with a nice appearance but obvious circulation aren’t considered “collectible”.

Like those without a mint mark, D mark 1958 nickels sell for about $0.43 with minimal wear and $2 when they’re virtually unmarked. Coins of the highest grade should receive professional assessment and go to auction to take full advantage of their value.

A PCGS MS67 Full Steps 1958 D nickel sold for $6,325 in 2008 and holds the auction record today. This was the sole finest certified D nickel of that year from PCGS, while the NGC registry’s finest is an MS67+ Full Steps.

More recent auction trends see the highest-graded 1958 nickels selling for anywhere from $32 to $990.

1958 Proof Nickel Value

1958 Proof Nickel Value
Credit: pcgs

Proof nickels were struck in small numbers to present to coin collectors. Proofs are almost always in better detail than business struck coins, and their minimum value reflects the higher quality and smaller pool of coins.

While 1958 proof nickels don’t have a mint mark (like the circulation coins struck in Philadelphia), a few details distinguish them.

Proof 1958 nickels were struck twice using special dies, and they usually have better details than other coins from this time. Proof coins also have a mirror-like background that obviously differs from the traditional plain field of business strike coins.

If you’re questioning it, it’s probably not a proof nickel. Professional inspection is the only way to determine this without the proper documentation and condition of a proof coin.

The 1958 proof nickel auction record is a particularly stunning PCGS PR69 with a Deep Cameo. As the finest graded 1958 proof nickel at PCGS, the coin sold for $10,868.75 in 2021.

1958 Nickel Grading

The easiest way to grade a 1958 nickel (without recruiting a professional grading service) is by comparing your coin to the details on a fully struck Mint State 1958 nickel.

By doing this, you can tell which areas have worn down the most and which marks are simply smaller scuffs on the surface.

Most business strike 1958 nickels are in “Good” condition. They’re well worn, usually to the point where there are no details and only general outlines of the original designs. Even the smallest details can bring it up to a “Fine” grade.

New collectors have the best luck pursuing “Extremely Fine” coins with minimal wear and modest pricing. These are more plentiful due to the obvious marks on the coins, but they still carry a premium over face value.

More serious collectors look for “Uncirculated” coins that have no obvious marks (although a magnifying glass may prove otherwise). High areas may have slight dulling of luster or scratches, but they’re remarkable at first glance.

Full Steps on 1958 Nickels

The Full Steps designation on a 1958 nickel bumps up its original number grade and value. Most Jefferson nickels fail to display the full 6 step design of Monticello, and 1958 San Francisco coins are considered the second worst struck coins from the series.

While most nickels have only four steps, the presence of 5 or 6 makes a coin more remarkable. Professional grading verifies this level of details, but don’t expect any premium on price unless the coin is a higher grade to start.

Rare 1958 Nickel Errors

While there aren’t any exceptional 1958 nickel errors, numismatists have noticed a few rare errors that run a premium on the original value of the coin. These include:

  • Double die nickels
  • Repunched mint marks
  • Off center strikes
  • Die breaks
  • Nickels struck on incorrect planchets

Keep in mind that errors have little effect on the ultimate value of your 1958 nickel. A coin should still be of high grade to get a high premium from any subsequent mint errors.

1958 Double Die Nickel

1958 Double Die Nickel
Credit: www2.briansvarietycoins

Nickels made in 1958 are likely to have a double die error that occurs when the working die for the series is impressed twice on the coin. The second strike on the coin occurs at a distinctly different angle or position, leading to a doubled appearance of certain details.

The most common places on the coin to notice doubling are Jefferson’s eye or the texts MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS on the reverse, but doubling may occur anywhere on the coin.

This error is usually barely noticeable, and may only add another $10 to $15 to the original value of the coin, but more serious doubled details draw in $25 to $50. Multiple 1958 proof nickels have a mild Double Die Reverse, and they sell for about $20.

1958 Repunched Mint Mark Nickel

While modern coins are mint marked with a machine, the mint marks on the 1958 nickel were done by hand. Human error happens more often than machine error, and sometimes workers would stamp the coins sideways, upside down, or in an entirely incorrect location.

It doesn’t make sense to get rid of a coin because of this simple error. Instead, the workers would simply strike the coin again in the correct location and continue with their work.

Most 1958 nickels with a repunched mint mark sell for about $3 to $10, but more drastic differences can sell for $25 or more.

PCGS notes a 1958 D nickel with a repunched mint mark that sold for $1,295 at an eBay auction. The coin’s high grade of MS64 likely bolstered this sale.

1958 Die Break Nickel

1958 Die Break Nickel
Credit: nashuacoins

Die breaks happen from time to time, and the dies used on the 1958 nickels had over a decade of use. Most of these issues are small, only causing minor raised lines or bumps in the coin.

Larger errors are much more interesting and desirable. They show up as cracks across Jefferson’s face or a large absence of details on the reverse. Die cuds, the raised, flat mounds that attach to the rim, are worth the most.

Minor die break errors attract about $5 per coin, while more moderate breaks bring in about $20. Severe die breaks on a 1958 nickel sell for $50, and those with a die CUD error go for $100 to $150.

1958 Wrong Planchet Nickels

Coins struck on the wrong planchet are not as common as other error coins, but there are a number of 1958 nickels that somehow managed this. This error is particularly common with the 1958 no mint mark nickels from the Philadelphia mint.

Wrong planchet errors occur when the coin is fed into a press equipped for another denomination or (rarely) when the composition of the coin changes. The most rare (and valuable) of these errors occur when a foreign currency planchet strikes the coin.

Some notable examples of this include a 1958 nickel struck on a Cuban one cent planchet (sold for over $1,000), an AU58 1958 nickel struck on a ten cent planchet (sold for $660), and a 1958 nickel struck on a one cent planchet (sold for $515).

The last example was also graded similarly to a penny, and it received a Brown designation due to the composition and color of the coin.

1958 Off Center Nickel

1958 Off Center Nickel

A 1958 nickel struck off center was either not centered properly or the dies that struck it were not properly aligned. Because of this, the coins end up with a degree of lost detail and a blank crescent shape somewhere along their rim.

Most coins only lose 10 percent of detail or less, and they sell for about $10 to $15. The more off center the issue is, the more the value the coin attracts.

For a 1958 off center nickel to sell for $100 or more, there should be at least 50 percent detail loss while still retaining its year and mint mark. One such example is a 1958 D nickel with a 75 percent off center error that sold for $370.

1958 Nickel FAQs

Are 1958 Nickels Worth Anything?

While most 1958 nickels are only worth their face value, collectors may pay $0.43 to $2 or more for well-preserved coins. Proof 1958 nickels are worth about $5 to $12.

Is the 1958 Nickel Silver?

The 1958 nickel is made of copper and nickel, not silver. The U.S. Mint only produced silver nickels, referred to as War Nickels, between 1942 and 1945. They were 35 percent silver alongside copper and manganese.

How Much is a 1958 Nickel with No Mint Mark Worth?

A 1958 nickel with no mint mark is worth $0.43 to $2 depending on its condition and the current coin-buying market. The highest graded nickels with full steps sell at auction for much more than this.

What is the Most Valuable 1958 Nickel?

The 1958 proof nickel is the most valuable five-cent piece from this year, although collectors are just as likely to pay more for a high-grade business strike nickel from this year.

How Many 1958 Nickels Were Made?

A total of 186,212,772 nickels were made by the Philadelphia and Denver mints in 1958.

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