2020-W Return to Monticello Nickel Proof
Proof struck at the West Point Mint · 464,730 made
- Mintage
- 464,730
- 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 2020-W 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 2020-W Return to Monticello Nickel Proof rare?
- Not especially. The Mint made 464,730 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 2020-W 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 2020 Return to Monticello Nickel?
- On the obverse, below the date (P, D or S). On this coin the mark is W, for West Point.
- How many 2020-W Return to Monticello Nickel proofs were made?
- 464,730.
What to check on your 2020-W
- Make sure the mint mark really is a W. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2020-P (786 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 2020 come with and without frosted devices. Coins with strong contrast are labeled Cameo or Deep Cameo and are worth more.
The story of the 2020-W
Special finishes and the first W nickels (2017 to 2020)
In 2017 San Francisco struck an Enhanced Uncirculated nickel for the 225th anniversary set. In 2018 a reverse proof nickel was included in a 50th anniversary set marking San Francisco proof production. In 2020 West Point struck nickels for the first time, with a W mint mark, in proof and reverse proof versions issued as bonus coins in collector sets. A planned uncirculated W nickel was dropped from the 2020 Uncirculated Set.
The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 disrupted the flow of coins through the economy. Nickel production rose to more than 780 million at Philadelphia and 830 million at Denver to keep up. Pieces struck for circulation in these years are easy to find. The special finishes and the W coins are the main collector focus. Their lower mintages make them the scarcest modern pieces in the series.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2020
West Point again struck quarters with a W mint mark for circulation, this time on all five 2020 designs.
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 | 2020 |
| Mint | West Point Mint |
| Mint mark | "W" |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 464,730 |
| 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 2020 Return to Monticello Nickel issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-P Return to Monticello Nickel | 785,500,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2020-D Return to Monticello Nickel | 837,600,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2020-S Return to Monticello Nickel Proof | 777,913 | Proof | – |
| 2020-W Return to Monticello Nickel Proof | 464,730 | Proof | – |
| 2020-W Return to Monticello Nickel Reverse Proof | 313,183 | Reverse 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.