Coin Values Moving with Precious Metals: Up-Dated 12/9/2024: Gold $2645 | Silver $31.20
1921 Nickel Value
The 1921 nickel value is a minimum of $3.90, however the state of preservation and the "S" mintmark quickly leads to higher value.
Starting with the mintmark, two mints produced Buffalo nickels in 1921, Philadelphia and the rare San Francisco issue.
If you discover the "S" mint coin from San Francisco, special care must be taken when determining value. Great demand by collectors places a 1921-S Buffalo nickel high on the list of valuable coins.
Next, condition plays an important role in the 1921 nickel value. Examine each carefully, the amount of wear or lack of it determines how much your coin is worth.
The Buffalo nickel pictured is a very nice "uncirculated" example and is eagerly sought by collectors and rare coin dealers.
With a high starting value the 1921 Buffalo nickel is a nice little treasure to find in your box of old coins.
Buffalo nickels in 1921 were produced by two mints in that year.
A mintmark "S" was placed on the reverse under the Buffalo by the San Francisco mint. The main mint in Philadelphia did not use a mintmark.
| 1921 Nickel Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Condition of Coin | ||||
| Date | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine | Uncirculated |
| 1921 Nickel Value Updated | 2024 | |||
| 1921 | $3.90 | $6.93 | $27 | $131 |
| 1921 S | $46 | $83 | $514 | $1,523 |
The Rare 1921 San Francisco Nickel
A 1921-S nickel is one of the harder dates and mintmarks to find in any condition. It is among the lowest mintages at 1.5 million coined. In comparison the Philadelphia mint of that year produced over 10.5 million nickels.
The coin market today has sorted out the demand - supply ratio and placed the value of a 1921-S in good condition, as the fourth highest coin of the series, $41 to $50 wholesale. Checking past values the 1962 Guide Book of US Coins ranked the top four coins in the same order.
Affirming this coin is popular, in demand and has been for a long time, virtually since minted. It's time to determine its maximum market value. How much is your 1921-S nickel worth!
All attention is now focused on condition, from one "Grade" of condition to the next, and especially this rare nickel, the range in value is huge.
You can do a reasonable job judging grade by comparing your coin to the images above, a better than average coin does standout in appearance.
Notice the value quickly moves into the hundreds of dollars for nicer condition coins.
With a higher priced coin it's time for an expert evaluation to pinpoint the grade. Collectors and dealers routinely submit their rare coins to a Coin Grading Service to have them authenticated and graded, leading to an accurate value.
Finding Accurate 1921 Nickel Value
The next part of your value investigation is judging the condition of your buffalo nickel and determine its grade.
As seen in the chart a difference in "Grade" produces a large swing in the 1921 nickel value.
Uncirculated: A sharp coin, appearing brand new. Collectors strive to own these rare coins. The uncirculated grade describes a nickel with no wear from use. As you rotate the coin under a light, wear would appear as breaks in luster, evident just below the eye of the Indian.
Extremely Fine: The shine of a new coin has disappeared from the surfaces. Slight wear has begun to show on the hair details of the Indian. On the reverse look for wear in the area of the front shoulder and upper back. Overall, still a well defined, collectible coin.
Fine: In this condition your coin is still valued and collected. Moderate, even wear over the entire surface is accepted. All the major design elements are visible. The buffalo is smooth on small portions of the head, front shoulder and hip. On the Indian, the hair just above the braid shows little detail.
Good: The date is readable, however parts of the numbers are often merged. The rim is no longer separated from the tops of the letters. The roundness of the design to the buffalo has become flat on the hip, stomach, shoulder and head.
Coin Values | CoinStudy Articles
Date by Date
In Depth Buffalo Nickel Value
1913 to 1938
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★Coin Values Discovery... finds 1921 nickel value and...
all old US coin values. It is an excellent index with images and text links to coin series, from Cents to Gold. Value charts, grading images and descriptions uncover how much your box of old coins is worth.
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