the 1959 and older nickels are worth about 20 cents each. there are some rare dates though. the rare dates are 1938D, 1938S, 1939D, 1939S, 1949S, 1950, 1950D, and 1951S are harder to find.
Sure. All of them are worth at least 5¢. Seriously, get a copy of the Red Book and you'll get a general (but not specifically accurate) idea of value. Depending on grade and mint, nickels from 1940-1959 are worth less than $50 each, with a very few exceptions. The great majority are only worth a couple of bucks or less in high grade MS.
oh yea! and the silver ones from 1942-1945. these have a little bit of silver in them and are worth 75 cents each! $50 or less apiece! i didn't know that pre 1960 nickels were that valuable!
Coin values are so subjective. The "key dates" in the series are: the 1938-D, 1938-S, 1939-D, 1939-S and the 1950-D. Also, Jefferson nickels which display "full steps" on the reverse, are of particular interest to collectors, and sell for premiums. For those collectors who wish to expand their collections to include some of the more difficult, and more expensive coins in the series, look for the overmintmarks such as: the 1949-D/S, 1954-S/D, 1955-D/S, and the overdate of the 1943/2-P. There are also three double dies occurring in this series the 1939, 1945 and 2004. The rarest of all the Jefferson nickels is the 1942-S with the reverse of the 1941. This unique coin (1 known) was actually found in a group of circulated coins in 1961.
The best suggestion of the day! The Guide Book (Red Book) will be a big help, and then you'll know if you should go further.
