1999-D Jefferson Nickel
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 1,066,720,000 made
- Mintage
- 1,066,720,000
- 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 1999-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 1999-D Jefferson Nickel rare?
- No. With 1.1 billion made, it's one of the most common Jefferson Nickels.
- Is the 1999-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 1999 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 1999 are scarcer?
- The 2003-D at 383,040,000, the 1997-D at 466,640,000, the 2001-D at 627,680,000, plus 5 more. So the 1999-D is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1999-D Jefferson Nickel coins were made?
- 1,066,720,000.
What to check on your 1999-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 1999-P (1.2 billion 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 1999-S Jefferson Nickel Proof (3,347,966 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 1.1 billion made, the 1999-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 1999-D
Denver made 1,066,720,000 in 1999, up from 635 million in 1998. In 2000 the figure was 1.5 billion.
1999-P came to 1.2 billion, so neither mint's 1999 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Across Denver's 63 Jefferson Nickel issues, the hardest to find is the 1950-D with 2,630,030 made. The 1999-D is one of the easier ones. Within the 1990s it's 19th smallest of 20, between the 1995-D (888 million) and the 1999-P (1.2 billion).
Matte finishes and the final original Monticello years (1993 to 2003)
Special matte finish nickels were made for collector sets in 1994 and 1997. The 1994-P came in a Jefferson coin and currency set marking his 250th birthday, while the 1997-P came in a set honoring the U.S. Botanic Garden. The 1997-P matte is scarce, with only about 25,000 made. Output climbed past a billion at each mint in 1999. Denver struck 1.5 billion in 2000.
Demand eased after 2000. Production fell to about 440 million at Philadelphia and 383 million at Denver in 2003, the last year of the original Schlag design before the Westward Journey series. Coins from these years are abundant. Full steps examples are generally easier to find than for earlier dates. San Francisco proofs show deep mirrors with frosted designs.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1999
The 50 State Quarters program began, with five new reverse designs each year in the order the states joined the Union.
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 | 1999 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,066,720,000 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Felix Schlag |
Other 1999 Jefferson Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-P Jefferson Nickel | 1,212,000,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1999-D Jefferson Nickel | 1,066,720,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1999-S Jefferson Nickel Proof | 3,347,966 | 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.