1981-D Jefferson Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 364,801,843 made
- Mintage
- 364,801,843
- 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 1981-D Jefferson Nickel worth?
In circulated condition it's worth face value. Only uncirculated coins with full original luster, or a recognized variety, carry a premium.
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 1981-D Jefferson Nickel rare?
- No. 365 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1981-D 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 1981 Jefferson Nickel?
- On the obverse, near the date. "P" appears from 1980. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1981 are scarcer?
- The 1977-D at 297,313,460, the 1978-D at 313,092,780, the 1979-D at 325,867,672, plus 1 more. So the 1981-D is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1981-D Jefferson Nickel coins were made?
- 364,801,843.
What to check on your 1981-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1981-P (658 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1981-S Jefferson Nickel Proof (4,063,083 made) is the one to compare with.
- 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 365 million made, the 1981-D 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 1981-D
Denver made 364,801,843 in 1981, down from 502 million in 1980. The next year it made 374 million (1982-D).
1981-P came to 658 million, so neither mint's 1981 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Denver struck the Jefferson Nickel in 63 issues between 1938 and 2003. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1950-D (2,630,030). Within the 1980s it's 3rd smallest of 20, between the 1986-D (362 million) and the 1987-P (371 million).
The P mint mark and high output (1980 to 1992)
In 1980 Philadelphia began placing a P on its nickels, the first time since the wartime silver years. The mint mark has been used ever since. Output ranged from a few hundred million to nearly 900 million at each mint, with Philadelphia's 1982 figure of 292 million among the lowest of the decade. San Francisco proofs continued every year. Prestige proof sets from 1983 onward included the nickel.
Collectors grade these coins by how many of Monticello's steps are complete. On dates struck with tired dies a full steps coin can be hard to find. Most coins from this era are common and found in uncirculated condition in rolls and mint sets. Errors such as off center strikes, clipped planchets and struck through debris are popular finds from this high volume period.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1981
Susan B. Anthony dollars were made only for collector sets, ending the design until a final run in 1999.
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 | 1981 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 364,801,843 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Felix Schlag |
Other 1981 Jefferson Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-P Jefferson Nickel | 657,504,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1981-D Jefferson Nickel | 364,801,843 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1981-S Jefferson Nickel Proof | 4,063,083 | 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.