Nickel · 2005
2005 Nickel Value
A 2005 nickel is worth $0.06 to $0.92 in circulated condition, depending on its mint mark and wear. The record price at auction is $13 (David Lawrence RC, 2023).
Prices updated:
About the 2005 nickel
The 2005 nickel is a regular circulation issue, struck in copper-nickel, weighing 5 g, 21.21 mm across, from a design by Joe Fitzgerald. It was struck at Denver, Philadelphia — 1,741,200,000 coins in all, which is why an ordinary example is worth close to face value however well it has been kept.
Philadelphia made the fewest at 842,400,000, against 898,800,000 from Denver. The mints are within the same order of magnitude, so on this date the mint mark does far less to the price than condition does.
The spread on this date is almost entirely about condition. A worn example is $0.06; the same coin certified MS68 carries a guide value of $1,650, and PCGS has graded 1 that high. Everything between those two numbers is a question of how the coin was handled in its first weeks.
Legends on this design — obverse: “IN GOD WE TRUST · Liberty · DE”. Reverse: “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA · JNF NEN · PLURIBUS · UNUM · FIVE CENTS”.
Population figures put that in perspective. Across the grades listed here PCGS has certified 10,293 examples of this date, and only 1 of them reached MS68. A coin that spent years in a till will not be among them; one pulled from a roll and never touched might be. That gap is the whole reason two coins with the same date sell for very different money.
There is also a record of what people actually paid. The highest recorded sale for this date is $13, at David Lawrence RC in January 2023. Auction results move around the guide values rather than matching them — the same coin can bring more on a day two determined bidders want it, and less when nobody does.
Value chart by grade
| Design | Mint mark | Mintage | G | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westward Journey, Bison | D | 487,680,000487.7M | $0.06 | $0.11 | $0.12 | $0.18 | $0.35 | $0.35 | $0.92 |
| Westward Journey, Bison | No mint mark | 448,320,000448.3M | $0.06 | $0.08 | $0.12 | $0.27 | $0.29 | $0.55 | $0.70 |
| Westward Journey, Ocean View | D | 411,120,000411.1M | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.09 | $0.29 | $0.36 | $0.40 | $0.58 |
| Westward Journey, Ocean View | No mint mark | 394,080,000394.1M | $0.06 | $0.06 | $0.35 | $0.37 | $0.41 | $0.41 | $0.51 |
What the grades mean
Grades run G to UNC, then MS60–MS70, where most value sits. How coin grading works →
Uncirculated values (MS grades)
Most value lives above UNC — population shows the rarity.
Mint mark D PCGS #4159
| Grade | Value | Graded in this grade | Finer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS63 | $4 | 92 | 1,285 |
| MS64 | $8 | 336 | 949 |
| MS65 | $15 | 495 | 452 |
| MS66 | $45 | 446 | 5 |
| MS67 | $750 | 4 | 0 |
Common in circulation, rare in top grade: PCGS has graded only 4 examples in MS67 — that's why the price jumps from $45 to $750.
No mint mark PCGS #4158
| Grade | Value | Graded in this grade | Finer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS63 | $5 | 82 | 1,096 |
| MS64 | $12 | 325 | 771 |
| MS65 | $25 | 538 | 231 |
| MS66 | $45 | 227 | 3 |
| MS67 | $1,150 | 3 | 0 |
Common in circulation, rare in top grade: PCGS has graded only 3 examples in MS67 — that's why the price jumps from $45 to $1,150.
Mint mark D PCGS #4161
| Grade | Value | Graded in this grade | Finer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS63 | $5 | 21 | 522 |
| MS64 | $8 | 90 | 432 |
| MS65 | $20 | 293 | 139 |
| MS66 | $42 | 134 | 4 |
| MS67 | $1,100 | 4 | 0 |
Common in circulation, rare in top grade: PCGS has graded only 4 examples in MS67 — that's why the price jumps from $42 to $1,100.
No mint mark PCGS #4160
| Grade | Value | Graded in this grade | Finer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS63 | $5 | 24 | 464 |
| MS64 | $7 | 64 | 400 |
| MS65 | $14 | 292 | 108 |
| MS66 | $140 | 106 | 2 |
| MS67 | $1,000 | 1 | 1 |
| MS68 | $1,650 | 1 | 0 |
Common in circulation, rare in top grade: PCGS has graded only 106 examples in MS66 — that's why the price jumps from $14 to $140.
PCGS Price Guide values for certified (slabbed) coins. Population — how many PCGS has graded.How to identify your 2005 nickel
What if it has already been cleaned?
Still identifies the same — you lose the premium. Don't try to fix it.
Where is the mint mark
It sits on the obverse below the date (1938–1964 and 1968 onward); above Monticello on the reverse for wartime issues. No letter means Philadelphia — normal, not rare. What the letter means →
Proof and collector versions
Alongside the coins made for circulation, the Mint sold 6 collector versions of the 2005 2005 nickel — proofs and special finishes struck at San Francisco and sold directly in sets. These never entered circulation, so if your coin came out of a till or a jar it is not one of them. They carry an S mint mark and a mirror or satin finish that is obvious next to an ordinary coin. The scarcest was struck in 847,361.
| Design | Format | Mint | Mintage | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westward Journey, Bison | Proof | S | 3,344,6793.3M | $3.10 |
| Westward Journey, Ocean View | Proof | S | 3,344,6793.3M | $3.03 |
| Westward Journey, Bison | Satin Finish | D | 1,160,0001.2M | $0.98 |
| Westward Journey, Bison | Satin Finish | P | 1,160,0001.2M | $0.99 |
| Westward Journey, Ocean View | Satin Finish | D | 847,361847K | $1.40 |
| Westward Journey, Ocean View | Satin Finish | P | 847,361847K | $1.05 |
Auction records
Real sales, not estimates. An auction result is one coin on one day, so individual prices land on both sides of the guide values above; the figures exclude the buyer's premium.| Date | Coin | Auction house | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2023 | No mint mark | David Lawrence RC | $13 |
| May 2014 | D | Great Collections | $13 |
| Oct 2012 | No mint mark | Great Collections | $6 |
What to do with your 2005 nickel
Don't clean it
Leave the surface alone — see the warning above.
Is it worth grading?
Grading costs roughly $50–100 per coin. For this coin it can pay off in high grades — MS67 examples are valued at $750, and the top of the scale runs to $1,650. Grading is worth considering only if the coin has no wear and full original lustre.
Where to sell
Dealer: fastest, pays least. Auction: best for coins worth $100+. eBay: most buyers, most fees.
Specifications
5 Cents "Jefferson Nickel" (Westward Journey, Bison)
- Composition
- Copper-nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
- Thickness
- 1.95 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Designer
- Joe Fitzgerald
- Mints
- United States Mint of Philadelphia, United States Mint of Denver, United States Mint of San Francisco (collector issues only)
5 Cents "Jefferson Nickel" (Westward Journey, Ocean View)
- Composition
- Copper-nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
- Thickness
- 1.95 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Designer
- Joe Fitzgerald
- Mints
- United States Mint of Philadelphia, United States Mint of Denver, United States Mint of San Francisco (collector issues only)
FAQ
How much is a 2005 nickel worth?
A circulated 2005 nickel is worth $0.06 to $0.92 depending on condition and mint mark. In top uncirculated grades it goes much higher — the PCGS guide reaches $1,650 in MS68.
How many 2005 nickels were made?
About 1,741,200,000 in total spread across 2 designs — Denver 898,800,000, Philadelphia 842,400,000. That is a large mintage, which is why circulated examples stay inexpensive.
How many different 2005 nickels are there?
2 designs were issued in 2005: Westward Journey, Bison, Westward Journey, Ocean View. Each was struck at Philadelphia and Denver, so a complete set of circulation coins is 4 pieces.
Where is the mint mark on a 2005 nickel?
See “Where is the mint mark” above.
Are there rare 2005 nickel varieties?
No major varieties are catalogued for this date. That does not rule out minting errors on individual coins — off-centre strikes, clipped planchets and doubled dies turn up in any year — but there is no known variety that makes the date itself scarce. With 1,741,200,000 struck, a variety would need to be genuinely rare to stand out from a run this size.
What is the S nickel from 2005?
An S mint mark on a 2005 nickel means a collector coin from San Francisco — 6 proof and special-finish versions were sold in sets rather than released into circulation. The scarcest was struck in 847,361. They are not found in change.