1974-S Jefferson Nickel Proof
Proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 2,612,568 made
- Mintage
- 2,612,568
- 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 1974-S Jefferson Nickel Proof worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1974-S Jefferson Nickel Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 2,612,568 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1974-S Jefferson Nickel Proof 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 1974 Jefferson Nickel?
- On the obverse, near the date. "P" appears from 1980. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 1974-S Jefferson Nickel proofs were made?
- 2,612,568.
What to check on your 1974-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 1974-D (277 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.
Proofs from 1974 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 1974-S
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 1974
With copper prices rising, the Mint struck experimental aluminum cents dated 1974. Nearly all were destroyed and they were never issued.
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 | 1974 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 2,612,568 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Felix Schlag |
Other 1974 Jefferson Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 Jefferson Nickel | 601,752,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1974-D Jefferson Nickel | 277,373,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1974-S Jefferson Nickel Proof | 2,612,568 | Proof | – |
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.