No, and most pre-1964 Jefferson nickels aren't especially valuable either. Contrary to popular misunderstanding, 1964 nickels were not made of silver - they're struck in the same 25% nickel / 75% copper alloy used for almost all nickels since the coin was introduced in 1866.
Dates to look for include 1950-D, war nickels (more below), and 1938 and 1939.
"War nickels" are the only silver US nickels ever minted. They were struck from late 1942 through 1945 using an alloy of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese because nickel metal was needed for the war effort. War nickels can be identified by a large mint mark letter over the dome of Monticello on the back.
If such a coin existed it would be spectacularly valuable, but all 1964 nickels - in fact, all US nickels made since 1938 - carry a picture of Thomas Jefferson. Abraham Lincoln has been on the cent since 1909.In any case 1964-dated nickels are very common. Any found in pocket change are generally only worth face value.
No US nickels have ever been pure silver, the "war nickels" of 1942-1945 are 35% silver and are the only nickels to have any silver. Post new question.
You can melt them but you won't get any silver. All US nickels except special "war nickels" made during 1942-45 are struck in the same alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper.
yes, the war-time silver nickel42-45
The melt value for a 1964 nickel is the same as any other date of nickels (except 1942-45), because unlike the dime and quarter, nickels weren't silver, and there was no change to it in 1965. As of 19 August 2013, U.S. nickels have a melt value of 4.6 cents.
Nickels minted before 1965 are typically made of 35% silver and can be valuable to collectors. Look for nickels from 1942 to 1945, as they are made of 35% silver due to the shortage during World War II. Additionally, any rare or error nickels can also be valuable.
Please check again and post a new question. Buffalo* nickels were minted from 1913 to 1938, and in any case the US didn't mint any nickels until 1866. [*] Nickels depicting an Indian head on one side and a buffalo on the other are called Indian head nickels OR buffalo nickels, but not "buffalo head" nickels because they show the entire buffalo, not just its head.
No. It's the same copper/nickel blend as every* other U.S. nickel minted since 1866. There were a billion of them minted in 1964, and it's worth 5 cents. *The only U.S. nickels to contain any silver are the "war nickels" of 1942-1945.
It depends on the date, the mintmark and the condition. Please post a new question including all of these needed items in order to get an accurate estimate of value.
That's an extremely broad question because nickels have been minted since 1866 at 3 different mints. Please see the Related Links for value guides. Also remember that except for the famous "war nickels" of 1942-45, US nickels have never been made out of silver so they're the only nickels that have any extra melt value. All other nickels are made of a copper-nickel alloy so any extra value they might have would be purely as collectible items.
No they do not, the ONLY nickels to have any silver are the "War Nickels" from late 1942 to 1946
Several billion were made. This is a very common date with no added value in circulated condition. A nice uncirculated one may be worth about 25 cents. Billions of nickels were minted in 1964 as a stopgap effort to substitute for higher-denomination silver coins that were being removed from circulation for melting. They show up in circulation more than almost any other date.