1970-S Jefferson Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 241,464,814 made
- Mintage
- 241,464,814
- Metal
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.21 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1970-S Jefferson Nickel worth?
Worn examples are worth face value and can be spent. Keep it only if it looks uncirculated or shows a known variety.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full steps on Monticello (5FS or 6FS)
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1970-S Jefferson Nickel rare?
- Not by date: 241 million were struck. A sharp uncirculated coin or a known variety is what makes one special.
- Is the 1970-S Jefferson Nickel silver?
- No. It's 75% copper, 25% nickel. The only silver nickels are the 1942 to 1945 wartime coins with a large mint mark above Monticello.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1970 Jefferson Nickel?
- On the obverse, near the date. "P" appears from 1980. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 1970-S Jefferson Nickel coins were made?
- 241,464,814.
What to check on your 1970-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1970-D (515 million made).
- Judge the grade under good light. The steps of Monticello are the key: coins with 5 or 6 full steps (5FS / 6FS) sell for large premiums. On the obverse, check Jefferson's cheekbone and hair.
With 241 million made, the 1970-S still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 1970-S
San Francisco made 241,464,814 in 1970, up from 120 million in 1969. It turned out to be San Francisco's last Jefferson Nickel for circulation.
1970-D came to 515 million, so neither mint's 1970 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Of the 19 Jefferson Nickels San Francisco struck between 1938 and 1970, none was made in bigger numbers. The scarcest San Francisco issue is the 1938-S at 4,105,000. Within the 1970s it's 4th smallest of 20, between the 1972 (202 million) and the 1973-D (261 million).
Mint marks move to the obverse (1968 to 1979)
When mint marks returned in 1968, they moved to the obverse, just to the right of the date. San Francisco struck circulating nickels from 1968 to 1970, then only proofs from 1971 onward. The 1971 proof nickel without an S, caused by a die that was never punched, is a major rarity, with only about 1,655 reported struck.
Demand grew through the 1970s with inflation. Output at the two main mints sometimes exceeded half a billion. Proofs from 1979 show Filled S and Clear S varieties. The clear S is scarcer. Coins from these years are common, though full steps examples from some Denver dates are hard to find. Many circulated pieces show weak strikes on the steps and on Jefferson's hair, the first places to check.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1970
The last 40% silver Kennedy half dollars were struck. The 1970-D half was issued only in mint sets.
How to recognize it
Felix Schlag's portrait shows Thomas Jefferson facing left with IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY and the date. The reverse shows the front of Monticello, Jefferson's home, with MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS below. The mint mark was to the right of the building until 1964 (above the dome on wartime silver nickels) and moved to the obverse, near the date, in 1968. Schlag's initials FS were added below the bust in 1966.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Jefferson Nickel (1938–2003) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1970 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 241,464,814 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Felix Schlag |
Other 1970 Jefferson Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-D Jefferson Nickel | 515,485,380 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1970-S Jefferson Nickel | 241,464,814 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: United States nickel mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.