Coin Values Moving with Precious Metals: Up-Dated 3/10/2025: Gold $2906 | Silver $32.39
1895 Nickel Value
Today, most of these early Liberty nickels are well used and lack market appeal. Judging your coin in above average condition identifies premium 1895 nickel value. These are surprisingly scarce.
Of key concern is proper judgment of condition. Next. note the correct coin series, date, and subtle qualities. A complete exam of both the surface of the coin and overall quality assures accuracy. Use of images points to features needed during the step-by-step process below.
Steps Leading to Value:
- Step 1: Date Identified - An important date in the Liberty series, confirm an accurate date on the coin.
- Step 2: Grading Condition - Judging condition is becoming important. High-grade examples are difficult to find and enjoy a strong market.
- Step 3: Special Qualities - Certain subtle qualities when found on these nickels draw the attention of collectors. Further insights point to features completing the value process.
| 1895 Nickel Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Condition of Coin | ||||
| Date | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine |
Mint State |
| Liberty Nickel Value Updated | 2025 | |||
| 1895 | $4.16 | $11 | $60 | $115 |
Posted in the chart is a range of Wholesale values. Note that demand within the coin market, plus condition of the coin determines how much Liberty nickels are worth.
Step 1: | Confirm and Record Date of Mintage
With its prestige as an uncommon date, an accurate description of this Liberty nickel includes recording and accurate date. Double check and confirm the 1895 date. While inspecting the obverse of the coin, realize absence of noticeable marks is a plus to collectors.
At the time, the main mint in Philadelphia struck all nickels released into circulation. What is significant with 1895 nickels is the low production numbers, just over 9.9 million produced. The coin market rewards these with a nice starting premium. These premiums expanding nicely when an example is in above average condition.
Step 2: | How to Grade and Determine State of Preservation
Recognize the Quality of the Coin to Place an Accurate Value
Grading the quality of old nickels inspects particular features determining their condition. Of importance is intact mint luster on high end quality examples. Secondly, recognizing the amount of wear on circulated - used- coinage.
Match your coin to the images representing stages of condition and quality. Refer to the descriptions, pointing to important features and visual detail. This begins to judge a narrow condition range. Helpful is a single light source. Providing a sharp contrast across the surface, small details begin to appear.
Mint State Grade
Mint State: A bust of Liberty is the main feature and focus when determining Mint State grade. A strict qualification is no evidence of wear is visible. This includes Liberty's cheek and neck area. Follow with a close look at the fine details within her hair strands.
With its open and unprotected position, Liberty's cheek becomes one of the first areas to confirm no smoothing or dulling is evident on the metal. In Mint State condition, a fine texture on the metal produces the shine of luster. Looking closely, her cheek is uniform over both the high and lower recesses. The metal has a similar texture and shine compared to the lower contour under the jaw.
Full details within Liberty's hair give this grade a high-quality appearance. Many strands are highlighted by deep recesses. On the high relief areas of the hair strands, top contours remain rounded. Any wear becomes noticeable as a dull tone to the metal and small flattened areas. An excellent area to judge is the hair detail just in front of the tie at the back of her head.
Extremely Fine Grade
Extremely Fine: One important feature of the Extremely Fine grade is circulation wear is just beginning to reduce the height of fine details. Light wear restricted to small areas is an important quality of this condition. A close inspection begins to recognize and quantify this light wear.
A good indicator of light wear is just above Liberty's headband, the two sprays of wheat grains. A small amount of missing detail is noted on one when compared to the other. Ample detail in both wheat sprays and a complete separation indicate only slight wear. Hair detail above her eye is also becoming noticeably flattened. However, this flattening and merging of hair strands is restricted to just this small area. A majority of single hair strands within the waves remain strongly visible.
Overall color of the nickel is now a soft gray, lacking the sparkle of luster. Small curls of hair behind her ear are visible, as well as a strongly defined ear. Crisp details is the required appearance of this high collectible quality.
Fine Grade
Fine Grade: Once a Liberty nickel is moderately worn, a distinct presence of wear is noticeable. Major features are merged. As an example, the loss of separation among hair strands above Liberty's forehead. Only a few deep recesses of the hair remain visible along the entire forehead.
Keeping these coins within Fine grade quality, note the ample detail of cotton leaves and wheat grains above the headband. Also note, the hair at the back of her head shows an impression of smoothness in the waves, with some fine lines merging in areas. Hair waves over her ear have larger areas of missing detail. Finally, directly over the eye, the majority of the hair is without any strand detail. The wear patterns exhibit distinct progressions, from light to moderate.
An important feature, key to the grade, is lettering of "LIBERTY" within the headband. All letters are visible with a strong and deeply impressed line above. Within this band, the letter "I" is very high in profile and first to begin to fading. A strong Fine grade coin exhibits a strong "I" letter.
Good Grade
Good Grade: Heavy wear reduces most details of this Liberty nickel to just outlines. Few details remain on Liberty's portrait, the main feature of the coin. Inspecting the portrait, all defining edges are well separated and bold above the lower field of the coin. This strong outline helps define and recognize the grade. Once her outline begins fading into the field, her collectible status also fades.
A nice Good grade nickel displays a complete inner edge of the rim. This complements the full, strong outline of Liberty. All thirteen stars remain visible and outlined. Add the crisp date is also presented in the example. Many dates of Liberty nickels are popular with collectors in this condition.
How to Video: Grading Liberty Nickels
Video plus extended descriptions give detailed insight into how to grade Liberty nickels. Key features on both the obverse and reverse help complete a thorough judgment of condition.
Grading Liberty Nickels | How to Video and Descriptions
Step 3: | Special Qualities | Low Mintage Attracts Attention
Added Interest in Low Mintage and Low Availability Supports 1895 Nickel Value
The coin market's attention is drawn to all dates in the Liberty nickel series with a mintage under 10 million pieces. Additionally, all of these low production years are awarded a strong starting value. Even coins in the low base grade of Good - a well-worn coin - enjoy demand and added premiums.
1895 is part of a small group of issues with this notable quality.
- 1912-S San Francisco Variety 238 thousand minted
- 1885 1.4 million minted
- 1886 3.3 million minted
- 1894 5.4 million minted
- 1912-D Denver Variety 8.4 million minted
- 1896 8.8 million minted
- 1895 9.9 million minted
Towards the end of the series, an average number of coins struck in a year was 15 to 18 million, topping out at 39 million in 1911. 1895's low production alerts collectors. This leads to an interest in finding pleasing examples. With 1895 nickels, there is a significant challenge trying to locate a suitable example. A coin only occasionally found, plus scarcity in higher quality, equals strong premiums. Many in the coin market are pursuing a limited supply.
The value chart shows the 1895 issue demanding strong premiums. The rarity scale goes from occasional numbers in lower quality to infrequent numbers in the upper condition category.
Comparing Eye Appealing Liberty Nickels
The above image presents a comparison of aesthetic appeal found on these older nickels. A coin with pleasing gray and tan colors and light toning is on the right. One with slightly lower appeal, on the left, has darkened areas among the devices. These dark colors are a small, subtle difference, with the darkened areas indicating a lesser quality of surface preservation. All the examples are of collectible quality. However, if your nickel is close to the overall look of the right-side example, give the coin a plus rating.
1895 nickels are a select year with qualities supporting interest, demand, and popularity. Knowing its historical background of low production and the allure of coinage from the 1800s is a solid beginning. Now subtle quality factors of preservation and defining condition add deeper insight to their market value.
References
U.S. Mint. 1896 U.S. Mint Annual Report
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/514118
U.S. Mint. 1948 U.S. Mint Annual Report.
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/339
U.S. Mint. Catalogue of Coins of the United States.
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/554591
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