Specifications
- Denomination
- 5 cents
- Series
- Jefferson Nickels
- Designer
- Felix Schlag
- Years of issue
- 1955
- Composition
- 75% Copper, 25% Nickel
- Weight
- 5 g
- Diameter
- 21.2 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Mint marks
- D
- Mintage
- 74464100
- Key mintages
- Total 1955-D nickel mintage; the D/S overmintmark has no separate mintage — Greysheet.
The 1955-D/S overmintmark nickel (FS-501) — an S punched first, then a D punched over it — lists $215 in MS65 and $775 in MS66 CPG retail (Greysheet); an FS-501 MS66 NGC sold for $439 at Heritage on March 17, 2026. Look for the top serif of the S projecting above the D and traces of the S at the lower left.
What it is
The 1955-D/S is an overmintmark variety of the Jefferson nickel: a working die that was first punched with an S mintmark and then punched again with a D, so remnants of the underlying S show beneath the D. PCGS recognizes the variety as FS-501 (PCGS #38519) (PCGS CoinFacts; accessed 2026-09-17).
It belongs to the hand-punching era of U.S. coinage, when mintmarks were punched into each working die one at a time by Mint employees — a manual step where mistakes were inevitable (PCGS CoinFacts; accessed 2026-09-17).
How it happened
In 1955 the Denver Mint struck 74,464,100 Jefferson nickels. Because the mintmark was hand-punched into each die, a die already bearing an S punch could be punched a second time with a D, creating the overmintmark. The variety was never separately counted — the 74,464,100 figure is the total 1955-D nickel mintage, and no variety mintage exists (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17).
More than one D/S die pairing is known. FS-501 (also cataloged as OMM-1) is the PCGS-recognized overmintmark; Greysheet’s auction data also records other D/S die marriages — OMM-2 (CONECA OMM-002), OMM-003, and OMM-7 — which generally trade for less than the FS-501 variety (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17).
How to identify
- Look at the mintmark area with magnification: the top serif of the underlying S projects above the top of the D (PCGS CoinFacts; accessed 2026-09-17).
- Further traces of the S show at the lower left of the mintmark (PCGS CoinFacts; accessed 2026-09-17).
- Because the variety is subtle, it is most confidently attributed on Mint State examples where the mintmark area is fully struck (PCGS CoinFacts; accessed 2026-09-17).
Authentication red flags
- The main risk is misattribution, not counterfeiting per se: confirm the exact die marriage (FS-501 / OMM-1) before paying a premium, since the other D/S pairings (OMM-2, OMM-003, OMM-7) are worth less (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17).
- The variety is subtle enough that weak strikes, circulation wear, or contact marks near the mintmark can mimic or obscure the undertype. Attribution is most reliable on fully struck Mint State coins (PCGS CoinFacts; accessed 2026-09-17).
- For any significant purchase, PCGS or NGC certification as FS-501 removes the attribution guesswork.
Notable examples
- Heritage, March 17, 2026 — FS-501, MS66 NGC, sold for $439 (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17).
- Heritage, March 31, 2026 — MS66 NGC, sold for $415 (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17).
- Heritage, June 15, 2026 — MS65 PCGS, sold for $154 (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17).
What drives value
- Die marriage: FS-501 (OMM-1) is the PCGS-recognized variety and carries the premium; other D/S marriages trade for less (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17).
- Grade and strike: the premium concentrates in Mint State, where the overmintmark must be clearly attributable. Circulated examples carry only small premiums (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17).
- Reference retail: Greysheet’s CPG retail lists the D/S at $215 in MS65 and $775 in MS66 (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17).
Market check
Compare live listings for this coin on eBay:
Search eBay for 1955-D/S Jefferson Nickel (Overmintmark)
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Specifications
- Denomination
- 5 cents
- Series
- Jefferson Nickels
- Designer
- Felix Schlag
- Year / Mint
- 1955, Denver (overmintmark S under D)
- Mintage
- 74,464,100 (total 1955-D production; the D/S variety has no separate mintage) (Greysheet; accessed 2026-09-17)
- Composition
- 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight
- 5.00 grams
- Diameter
- 21.20 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Alignment
- Coin alignment
- PCGS variety
- FS-501 (PCGS #38519)
Sources
- PCGS CoinFacts — “1955-D/S 5C Overmintmark, FS-501” (variety recognition, diagnostics; accessed 2026-09-17)
- Greysheet — “1955 D/S Nickel MS Values” (GSID 3308: specs, CPG values, auction records, multiple OMM dies; accessed 2026-09-17)
