What is the value of a 1938 Indian head nickel?

Answer 1

August 18, 2009

The 1938 Indian Head Nickel was produced only at the Denver, Colorado mint and is shown in this list as 1938-D. (The F on the front of the coin is the designer's monogram and not a mint mark.)

The circulated and uncirculated values for this coin are shown in the following list:

Circulated Grades...............1938-D

G4........................................$3

VF30.....................................$4

EF40.....................................$5

AU55....................................$9

Uncirculated Grades

MS60.................................$19

MS63.................................$29

MS64.................................$32

MS65.................................$55

MS66.................................$75

There is also a variety with an "S" showing underneath the "D" mint mark. Values are in the following ranges:

Very worn - $6

Moderately worn - $8

Slightly worn - $12

Almost no wear - $31

Uncirculated - $55 to $13,750
1938 Buffalo nickels were only struck at Denver. The most common variety retails for about $3 to $4 depending on condition. A die prepared for use at San Francisco was repunched with the D mint mark over the S and used to strike some coins at Denver. These so-called "D/S" nickels are worth from $6 to $25. Finally, there is the famous "three leg" nickel that resulted when an overzealous Mint employee polished one of the dies so much that one of the buffalo's legs was rubbed off. These are quite rare and retail between $550 and $1200.