2015-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof
Proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 1,099,413 made
- Mintage
- 1,099,413
- 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 2015-S Return to Monticello 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 2015-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 1,099,413 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 2015-S Return to Monticello 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 2015 Return to Monticello Nickel?
- On the obverse, below the date (P, D or S). On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 2015-S Return to Monticello Nickel proofs were made?
- 1,099,413.
What to check on your 2015-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 2015-P (753 million made).
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the steps of Monticello and Jefferson's cheek. Fully struck coins with five or six steps sell for premiums in high grades.
Proofs from 2015 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 2015-S
Recovery and the search for cheaper metals (2010 to 2016)
Production recovered from 2010, rising from about 260 million at Philadelphia to more than 750 million at each mint by 2015 and 2016. The Coin Modernization, Oversight and Continuity Act of 2010 directed the Mint to study cheaper alloys. Test pieces were struck in several metals, but the copper-nickel composition stayed unchanged.
Proofs were struck at San Francisco each year, with mintages falling from about 1.7 million in 2010 to about 1 million by 2016 as collector set sales declined. Circulating coins from these years are common. Collectors look for complete steps on Monticello, strong hair detail and minor die varieties. Some dates show die cracks from long production runs. Bright uncirculated coins are easy to find in rolls and mint sets.
How to recognize it
Jamie Franki's obverse shows Jefferson facing forward, with LIBERTY in his handwriting and the date and mint mark below. The reverse returns to the front view of Monticello with MONTICELLO and FIVE CENTS beneath and E PLURIBUS UNUM above.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Return to Monticello Nickel (2006–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2015 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 1,099,413 |
| Face value | 5¢ |
| Composition | 75% copper, 25% nickel |
| Weight | 5 grams |
| Diameter | 21.21 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Jamie Franki (obverse); Felix Schlag (reverse, re-engraved) |
Other 2015 Return to Monticello Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-P Return to Monticello Nickel | 752,880,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2015-D Return to Monticello Nickel | 846,720,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2015-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof | 1,099,413 | 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.