1958 Nickel Error List with Pictures

Two 1958 nickels can weigh the same 2.5 grams yet come from different wrong blanks. One used silver dime metal, while another used a Cuban centavo blank.

A silver-dime-blank example brought $2,357.50 in August 2010. This 1958 nickel error list covers estimated values from $10 to $3,000, including smaller clues such as an upside-down D beneath the mintmark.

The checks below connect each unusual feature with the rest of the coin.

1. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Lamination

A thin flap can lift from the surface when metal separates inside a nickel. The weak area allows a layer to pull away from the surrounding metal.

This flaw is called lamination. The flap may remain attached or break away, exposing a rough surface underneath.

The Denver report describes this type of separation without locating one particular patch. It does not establish a whole coin split into two halves.

Corrosion or scraping can also leave a rough area. The broken surface and any attached flap help distinguish an original metal weakness from later damage.

Estimated Value

Estimate $10–$150 for recognizable 1958-D surface laminations on ordinary collectible coins. A clear attached layer can be more interesting than a tiny rough spot on a heavily worn piece.

A 1966 nickel surviving in three matching pieces sold for $109.25 in August 2010. That is a different-year, much larger separation, not a sale of the reported Denver flake.

The range concerns original metal flaws. Corrosion or someone pulling away a loose layer can reduce the appeal of the remaining coin.

How to Identify

Leave the flap untouched and photograph how it joins the rest of the surface. A pin or fingernail can break that connection and remove useful evidence.

Use a 10× magnifier with side lighting to inspect the split beneath the layer. Look for a natural break rather than pry marks or a scraped groove.

Compare the plain edge near the affected area for cutting or corrosion. A loose coin can remain close to 5 grams and 21.21 millimeters if the small flap is still attached.

Check those figures with a scale and calipers, without pressing against loose metal. The undisturbed connection between the flap and coin is a better clue than the exposed area’s color.

 

2. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Doubled Front or Back Design

Closely spaced extra outlines can repeat letters on the front or back. They began in the steel stamping tool, called a die, rather than from a second blow to the finished coin.

The Denver back pattern affects UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Separate Philadelphia Proof patterns include IN GOD on the front and UNUM or other lettering on the back.

Proofs are specially made collector coins, and their patterns should be compared separately from Denver ordinary strikes. Some outlines are very close together, making a matching photograph more useful than simply deciding that a letter looks thick.

Estimated Value

For identified minor doubled designs, estimate $10–$250, considering the specific pattern and preservation. An attractive Proof with clear repeated lettering differs from a worn ordinary coin with barely visible outlines.

The estimate does not price every thick letter as a recognized variety. Flat ledges left by movement during striking generally have a different explanation and little added value.

Compare the same mint and finish. Grade alone cannot turn ordinary lettering into a doubled design or establish the catalog pattern.

How to Identify

The Philadelphia Proof and Denver ordinary coin need different comparison pictures, even when both show extra outlines in the back lettering. Establish the finish before using a 10× magnifier alongside the illustrated 1958 patterns.

For Denver, begin with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; the Philadelphia front Proof starts with IN GOD. A back Proof needs its own matching wording and pattern rather than a combination of every listed doubled letter.

A loose coin should remain near 5 grams and 21.21 millimeters, checked with a scale and calipers, and have a plain edge. Match rounded repeated outlines or split letter ends, since flat shelves caused by striking movement can narrow the original strokes.

 

3. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Curved Clip

A curved gap can remain when a blank-cutting punch overlaps a hole already present in the metal strip. The incomplete disk reaches the press with part of its edge missing.

The design then forms around that shortage. Collectors call the result a clipped planchet, with planchet meaning the disk prepared for striking.

The 1958-D report describes a curved missing section without giving its exact size or position. A later cut can copy that outline.

The difference is in the struck details. Removing metal from a finished coin cuts through a design that was already complete.

Estimated Value

Use an estimated $10–$300 for genuine 1958-D curved clips with readable identification. The amount missing, edge appearance, and condition help place a coin within the range.

A 1974 nickel with two curved clips sold for $132 in July 2021. That different-year result concerns two openings on an unworn coin, not a documented price for this Denver report.

Small worn clips often cost less than large, attractive examples. A later cut has no corresponding mint-error premium, however neatly made.

How to Identify

A large missing section should reduce the weight below the normal 5 grams, so weigh a loose candidate first. A later cut also removes weight and cannot be excluded by the scale alone.

Use calipers across intact spans against 21.21 millimeters, then photograph both ends of the curved gap. Examine them with a 10× magnifier for design formed around an existing shortage.

Check the remaining plain edge for saw or file marks. Weakness on the rim opposite the gap can support a clip, but it is not required on every example.

Do not assign a percentage or clock position from a generic illustration. The natural rim ends and nearby struck lettering are the features to match on the actual coin.

 

4. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Die Cracks and Rim Breaks

The stamping tool can crack or lose a piece while making coins. Metal entering a narrow crack forms a raised line, while a missing piece can leave a broader raised patch.

A patch joined to the rim is often called a cud. It replaces part of the design where the broken tool could no longer shape the metal normally.

The 1958-D listing includes these effects but does not establish one photographed break position. A lump from a rim hit or added solder can look similar, so the surface must support the proposed cause.

Estimated Value

Estimate $10–$350 across genuine small cracks and stronger rim breaks on 1958-D nickels. Most fine lines belong near the lower end, with prominent original patches drawing more interest.

For comparison, a 1970-D nickel with two front breaks sold for $63 in October 2022. It was lightly worn, and its two-break pattern should not be assigned to the 1958 coin.

The estimate includes the whole coin. Several raised features on one nickel do not automatically create several prices to add together.

How to Identify

A line and a broad patch require different checks. Move a light across the feature to see whether it stands above the surrounding surface or cuts into it.

With a 10× magnifier, trace a suspected cud into the rim. An isolated internal bump does not establish that kind of rim break.

Inspect the plain edge for a dent or seam, then compare nearby design with a normal nickel. Added solder or a later impact can imitate a raised patch.

A scale and calipers can check a loose intact coin against 5 grams and 21.21 millimeters. Normal weight can remain because the missing metal came from the tool.

The raised feature should join the original struck surface without signs of added material.

 

5. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Broadstrike

A nickel can spread wider than normal while retaining its complete design. The ring around the blank, called the collar, failed to contain the metal during striking.

The reported 1958-D broadstrike measures twenty-three millimeters, compared with the normal 21.21 millimeters. That gives a practical starting point for checking its expanded outline.

The report does not give a grade or one required direction of spreading. A wide border still needs examination.

Pressure applied after minting can also flatten and enlarge a coin. That later pressure may damage letters and other details that were already struck.

Estimated Value

An estimated $30–$400 covers identifiable 1958 broadstrikes across varying preservation and expansion. Original lettering within a clearly widened border supports stronger interest than a slightly uneven rim.

A year guide reports an $85 result in 2023 for the twenty-three-millimeter Denver example. That is a reported comparison, rather than a primary auction record with a grade.

Judge the extent of spreading together with the surfaces. A hammered coin should not receive a broadstrike premium merely because calipers show a larger diameter.

How to Identify

Twenty-three millimeters is the reported example’s diameter, so start by checking width with calipers in several directions. Another genuine broadstrike can have a different width from this particular coin.

Trace the outside lettering on both faces with a 10× magnifier. A broadstrike keeps its full intended design, while an off-center strike loses some of that design beyond the metal.

Weigh a loose example against the normal 5 grams and inspect its plain edge for hammering or squeezing. The ordinary diameter is 21.21 millimeters, but enlargement alone cannot explain how the coin became wider.

Look for original outward-spread surface around complete letters. Later flattening can enlarge the coin while crushing details that had already formed.

 

6. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Struck through Material

A pattern across Jefferson’s portrait can come from material caught between the blank and the stamping tool. Pressure leaves the obstruction’s texture where the normal design should appear.

The Philadelphia report describes parallel marks attributed to cloth on a 1958 nickel. A fabric impression should have a relationship to the blocked design, not simply consist of scratches across a finished coin.

Other materials can also interfere with striking, but they need their own evidence. Grease, wire, and cloth should not be treated as interchangeable names for every shallow patch or missing letter.

Estimated Value

Estimate $20–$500 for genuine struck-through 1958 nickels, depending on the impression’s extent and preservation. A recognizable fabric pattern has more explanatory value than a barely visible weak area.

The year guide reports $68 at a 2024 auction for the Philadelphia cloth example. Its grade is not supplied, so this remains a reported comparison.

Large, clear impressions can attract more attention than small interruptions. Later scratches through the portrait do not qualify for the same range merely because they are parallel.

How to Identify

Compare several lines where they cross Jefferson’s portrait, not just where they run across an empty background. Under a 10× magnifier, a real fabric impression should interrupt the original design rather than scratch through finished details.

Change the lighting and look for repeating texture that supports the cloth description. Straight lines alone cannot identify the material, since an object dragged across a finished coin can also leave parallel scratches.

For a loose nickel, use a scale and calipers against 5 grams and 21.21 millimeters, then inspect the plain edge for squeezing. Match the texture across the portrait with the reported cloth example, keeping the full 1958 date visible in photographs.

 

7. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Off-Center Strike

A large bare crescent can remain when the disk sits far outside the center of the press. Only the part beneath the stamping tools receives the design.

The 1958-D report describes an example seventy-five percent off center, graded NGC MS65. That is an unworn grade with relatively few marks, not a measurement of the remaining design.

The listing does not establish which direction the design shifted. It is also a different coin from the double-struck Denver example discussed next.

That coin’s large offset belongs to its second blow. Here, the seventy-five-percent description concerns the off-center strike itself.

Estimated Value

For genuine dated 1958 off-center nickels, estimate $50–$700, allowing for different displacement and preservation. A readable date matters when most of the design misses the blank.

A 1999-D nickel struck sixty-five percent off center sold for $75 in September 2024. That different-year sale shows a modest result for a large shift, rather than setting a price for the reported 1958-D MS65 coin.

An impressive outline can lose appeal if the date disappears. Surface damage also affects the complete coin’s value.

How to Identify

Read the surviving date before comparing the amount of bare metal. Part of Jefferson’s portrait alone cannot establish that the coin was made in 1958.

Find the D beside Monticello if that area survives. The seventy-five-percent report does not establish a particular clock direction.

Use a 10× magnifier to compare both faces and the boundary between struck and untouched metal. They should fit one misplaced disk rather than one shifted tool.

A loose example can stay near 5 grams because the strike need not remove metal. Check with a scale and measure its changed outline against 21.21 millimeters using calipers.

Inspect the plain edge for alteration, then match incomplete designs beside original bare metal on both faces.

 

8. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Double Strike

A second strike can place another piece of portrait or lettering near the coin’s edge. The nickel moved after its first impression but remained beneath the tools for another blow.

The reported 1958-D example was graded NGC MS63, an unworn grade allowing visible marks. Its second strike was about eighty-five percent off center.

That percentage describes the later blow, not missing metal or the position of both strikes together. A doubled tool can repeat tiny letter outlines too, but it does not create the same separate, widely displaced set of design fragments.

Estimated Value

Estimate $150–$1,000 for identifiable 1958 double strikes with visible separation between the impressions. Condition and how easily the older and newer designs can be read both influence the price.

Year summaries give differing amounts for the MS63 example, so the range uses comparable Jefferson double strikes. A 1986-D coin with a seventy-percent second strike brought $253 in June 2008.

That comparison concerns another year and offset. Price the double-struck coin once rather than assigning a separate value to each impression.

How to Identify

Follow a recognizable portrait or letter from one strike until it meets the other image. A 10× magnifier can show which impression flattened part of the earlier design.

Turn the coin over and look for related repeated detail. One distorted lump near the edge does not establish another blow.

The eighty-five-percent figure describes where the second strike landed, not how much of the original blank is missing. A scale can compare a loose piece with the normal 5 grams.

Use calipers to record the altered outline against 21.21 millimeters and inspect the plain edge for joins or later squeezing. Two identifiable design positions in one photograph provide a clearer check than one enlarged, misshapen letter.

 

9. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Struck on a Cent Blank

A small copper-colored nickel may have been struck on a disk intended for a cent. The nickel tools place Jefferson and Monticello onto metal too small for their full design.

A Philadelphia 1958 example appears in an auction catalog as PCGS MS63 Brown. That describes an unworn coin with visible marks and a brown copper surface.

The catalog does not supply its actual weight or diameter. Measurements from another cent-blank nickel cannot stand in for this coin.

Brown color alone is not enough. Coating or treating an ordinary five-cent coin can also change its appearance.

Estimated Value

Estimate $200–$1,200 for a genuine 1958 nickel on a copper cent blank, comparing original surfaces, readable date, and preservation. An intact smaller blank explains the cropped design better than a coin whose edge has been altered.

A 1966 cent-blank nickel graded MS63 Red and Brown sold for $552 in December 2025. This recent comparison supplies neither the weight nor the color grade of the 1958 Brown coin.

Cleaned surfaces and damaged edges can lower interest despite a genuine wrong blank.

How to Identify

Color is only the starting clue, so compare a loose candidate with the contemporary cent’s 3.11-gram weight using a scale. A normal nickel is 5 grams.

Use calipers against the cent’s starting 19.05 millimeters and nickel’s 21.21 millimeters. These are standards, not actual measurements published for the MS63 Brown coin.

Look at the outside lettering with a 10× magnifier to see where the larger nickel design ran out of available metal. The smaller disk can spread during striking.

Inspect its plain edge for trimming or a copper coating. Read the date and look separately for any earlier Lincoln design.

A smaller copper-alloy disk carrying only the nickel design fits an unused cent blank rather than an overstruck finished cent.

 

10. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Repunched and Inverted Denver Mintmark

An earlier D can remain beneath the finished mintmark when the letter was punched into the stamping tool more than once. In one striking 1958 pattern, that earlier letter was upside down.

The upright D was placed over the inverted impression. Other Denver patterns instead show a tilted D or an extra stroke above or to the left.

Those different positions should not be combined into one mintmark. Each pattern needs its own comparison photograph.

The upside-down D was punched into the tool before the upright D. The finished coin was not struck upside down.

Estimated Value

Use an estimated $10–$1,500 across the minor repunches and stronger inverted-D examples. The specific pattern matters because a faint shifted stroke is not the same collectible variety as the inverted letter.

The FS-501 catalog name identifies the better-known inverted-D pattern. It does not give every 1958-D nickel with an unusual mintmark the same value.

Compare visibility and preservation before choosing a price. Clear original outlines on an attractive unworn coin can support more interest than worn or mechanically flattened lettering.

How to Identify

Find the D to the right of Monticello on the back, where the mintmark belongs on this year’s nickel. Do not search the front location used on later coins.

For the inverted variety, turn a normal D photograph upside down to understand the surviving extra curves. Then use a 10× magnifier with the illustrated inverted-D explanation.

Tilted or displaced punches require their own comparisons, since an extra stroke above a D does not prove an inverted letter. A loose coin should be near 5 grams and 21.21 millimeters on a scale and calipers, with a plain edge.

The extra outline must match the complete known pattern, rather than just one unusual-looking curve.

 

11. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Struck on a Cuban Centavo Blank

This nickel was stamped onto a blank intended for a Cuban one-centavo coin. The recorded example weighs 2.5 grams and was graded NGC MS62.

The design is shifted toward four o’clock, leaving the date and part of LIBERTY visible. On the back, most of E PLURIBUS UNUM remains while other outer wording misses the disk.

The catalog describes gray surfaces and a well-formed remaining design. Its weight happens to match a contemporary silver dime’s standard, so weight alone cannot distinguish this foreign blank from the separate silver-dime-blank error discussed below.

Estimated Value

NGC’s auction record lists $1,140 in August 2020 for the cataloged MS62 Cuban-blank coin. Estimate $700–$2,500 for identified examples, considering the surviving date and surface quality.

That price belongs to the foreign blank, not simply to any nickel weighing 2.5 grams. A silver dime blank can share that weight while having a different composition and intended use.

The foreign attribution needs to fit the actual metal and dimensions. A trimmed or corroded ordinary nickel cannot use the same price comparison.

How to Identify

The recorded 2.5 grams cannot distinguish this Cuban blank from a silver dime blank of the same weight. Use a scale on a loose candidate, then record its actual width with calipers rather than assuming a normal nickel’s 21.21 millimeters.

With the design upright, compare the four-o’clock shift and the surviving date and part of LIBERTY. Most of E PLURIBUS UNUM should remain on the back.

A 10× magnifier can reveal trimming or coating along the edge and cropped design. A regular nickel is 5 grams with a plain edge.

Professional metal testing must support the foreign-blank identity. Match that result with the correctly struck smaller disk and its specific surviving lettering.

 

12. 1958 Jefferson Nickel Struck on a Silver Dime Blank

A silver dime blank can receive the much larger five-cent design by mistake. One 1958 example weighs 2.5 grams and was graded NGC MS65, an unworn grade with relatively few marks.

Its design sits toward ten o’clock, leaving WE TRUST and UNITED STATES off the metal. The date is nearly complete even though the central design is weak.

The coin has gold and reddish toning over the silver surface. That color does not make it a copper cent blank, and this pre-clad dime metal is different from the copper-core blanks used for later ordinary dimes.

Estimated Value

The documented 2.5-gram MS65 coin sold for $646.25 in October 2012. A 2010 Heritage record lists a 1958 silver-dime-blank nickel, also graded MS65, at $2,357.50.

Estimate $500–$3,000 for comparable identified examples. These differing results show why one grade does not guarantee a fixed price.

The readable date, preserved surfaces, and clarity of the wrong-blank design all matter. Compare the complete specimen rather than assuming every small silver-colored 1958 nickel matches either auctioned coin.

How to Identify

Look for the nearly complete date alongside missing WE TRUST and UNITED STATES, matching the design’s ten-o’clock shift. That combination is more specific than a small silver-colored coin alone.

The documented example weighs 2.5 grams, the contemporary silver dime standard and half a normal nickel’s 5 grams. Check a loose candidate with a scale.

Use calipers to compare its outline with the dime’s starting 17.91 millimeters and nickel’s 21.21 millimeters. Those starting dimensions are not final measurements of a disk that may have spread.

Inspect the edge with a 10× magnifier for trimming or plating; a normal nickel’s edge is plain. A confirmed silver alloy separates this error from the equally weighted Cuban-blank example.

 

Conclusion

The estimated $10–$3,000 range covers minor metal flaws through identified wrong-blank coins. A small extra D needs a different comparison from two widely displaced designs.

Weight is especially helpful for the smaller blanks, but the two 2.5-gram examples show its limits. Their metal, surviving lettering, and strike positions tell them apart.

Use clear photographs of both faces and the edge, and leave peeling metal untouched while comparing the details.