Rare 1938 Jefferson Nickel Errors (List & Pictures)
Jefferson appeared on the nickel in 1938, and some first-year dies carried extra design outlines. An exceptional FS-105 example sold for $2,702.50 in January 2016.
The 1938 Jefferson nickel errors here range from about $10–$3,000. Check that the back shows Monticello, then follow the clue on your coin: repeated detail, peeling metal, a changed edge, or an unusual blank.
1. 1938 Nickel Doubled and Quadrupled Design Outlines Error
A recognized Philadelphia front variety shows distinct extra outlines around 38, with the motto and star providing more clues. Another has several close outlines and is called a quadrupled die.
The die carried the repeated design before striking. A quadrupled die does not mean every coin received four blows.
How to Identify
On the Philadelphia front, compare the date, motto, and star together. Matching rounded edges across several features provide stronger evidence than one thick number.
Reported Denver fronts and Denver or San Francisco backs need their own comparison images. Do not borrow the well-known 1939 doubled Monticello pattern for a 1938 coin.
Check the small mintmark to the right of Monticello before choosing a variety. Flat shelves beside letters can result from movement during striking instead of a doubled die.
What It’s Worth
$20–$3,000 spans many identified examples around $20–$700 and exceptional pieces reaching roughly $3,000. The FS-105 quadrupled variety brought $2,702.50 in January 2016 at MS67 Full Steps.
MS67 describes very few marks and no wear, while Full Steps describes clear staircase lines. That quality designation is separate from the FS-105 catalog number.
2. 1938 Nickel Peeling Surface Metal from Lamination Error
A reported Denver example has a back lamination near seven to eight o’clock. A separate San Francisco listing places the flaw across Monticello’s center.
Lamination is a thin layer separating within the original metal. A flap may remain attached or leave a shallow opening after coming away.
How to Identify
Match the affected face and mint before comparing the two reported locations. A different lamination need not occupy either exact spot.
Use side light to follow the layer boundary without lifting it. Scattered pits, bubbling, or a scraped trench suggest a different surface problem.
What It’s Worth
$10–$100 is the estimate for small to clearly visible laminations. The Denver example was reported sold through HiBid for $24 in August 2025, without establishing whether all buyer fees were included.
The separate San Francisco listing asked $14.99. That is an asking price, and neither figure establishes an error premium for ordinary corrosion.
3. 1938 Nickel A Ragged Opening from a Clipped Blank Error
The recorded 1938-D ANACS MS64 coin weighs 4.91 grams and has an irregular missing edge section. Its blank was incomplete before striking.
The small weight difference fits modest metal loss but does not identify the gap’s position or exact shape. Those details must come from the specimen.
How to Identify
Inspect both ends of the opening and the way the rim and design approach it. Fresh cuts or tool marks through finished detail can explain later damage.
A normal nickel is about 5 grams and 21.21 mm across. Compare intact spans rather than measuring only across the gap, and do not treat a 4.91-gram reading alone as proof.
What It’s Worth
$40–$200 is the estimated range for an identified 1938-D ragged clip. The recorded MS64 example has no verified sale amount used here.
A clearly original boundary is more useful than a doubtful notch. Wear, cleaning, and additional damage can lower the appeal.
4. 1938 Nickel A Small Struck Area with a Back Indent Error
The documented PCGS MS62 nickel is described as 90% off center and also has an indent on the back. Another blank or coin occupied part of the striking area and pressed into it.
An indent is a depressed contact area, not necessarily a backward copy of a design. Both effects belong to this one coin.
How to Identify
Start with the surviving struck details and compare the remaining year with full photographs and the attribution. A huge bare area cannot identify the date by itself.
On the back, follow the indent’s smooth boundary and check how design ends there. Crushed finished details from a later hit would need a different explanation.
What It’s Worth
$250–$800 is the estimate for a comparable identified off-center nickel with an original indent. A 1941 nickel struck 15% off center sold for $373.75 in September 2010.
That different coin had a higher grade and sharp steps but not this stated combination. The 90% figure is not a price multiplier; readable identity and quality of the effects matter.
5. 1938 Nickel Two Strikes with a Clip and Broadstrike Error
A pictured PCGS MS64 example combines an 8% clip, repeated striking, and an expanded outline. The clip was already in the blank before the later blows.
The expansion is a broadstrike, where the surrounding collar failed to contain the metal. All three features belong to the same specimen.
How to Identify
Locate the missing edge, follow a repeated letter or portrait through the overlap, and then inspect the outward spread. Each observation should fit the same coin.
Flat letter shelves alone do not establish two strikes. Examine the edge for later crushing or filing and keep the clip separate from expanded areas when recording dimensions.
What It’s Worth
$400–$1,500 is the estimate for a well-preserved combination of this kind. No individual sale is assigned to the pictured 1938 MS64 coin.
A different 1998-P nickel flipped over and struck twice off center brought $604 in September 2004. It illustrates demand for complex repeated strikes without duplicating this coin’s sequence.
Adding three full error prices would count the same object repeatedly. Its preservation and readable combined features should be assessed together.
6. 1938 Nickel A Copper Cent Blank under the Nickel Design Error
The documented NGC MS63 Red and Brown example weighs 3.0 grams. A smaller blank intended for a cent entered the nickel press and received Jefferson and Monticello.
No earlier Lincoln design is required because the disk was unused. Copper plating on a normal nickel may imitate color but not the full set of features.
How to Identify
Compare the recorded 3.0 grams with a normal nickel’s 5 grams. A period cent blank normally begins near 3.11 grams and 19.05 mm, though striking can spread it.
Inspect the naturally cropped outer lettering and the edge for grinding or coatings. The smaller copper body and incomplete nickel design must belong to the same specimen.
What It’s Worth
$800–$2,500 is the estimate for an identified 1938 cent-blank strike. The documented 3.0-gram example has no supplied individual sale price.
A 1941 cent-blank nickel graded MS66 Red and Brown sold for $2,400 in July 2021. Its stronger preservation makes it an upper comparison rather than an exact price for the 1938 MS63 coin.
Conclusion
For this first-year Jefferson issue, keep close die doubling separate from whole designs repeated in another position. The date and mint help select the right small-variety comparison.
For larger errors, show the outline and both faces so each effect can be followed. A clipped, broadstruck, double-struck coin is still one object, while a copper-colored candidate needs weight and edge evidence alongside its color.
