Are you looking for valuable coins to add to your Jefferson nickel set? Are you interested in finding out if 2006 nickels are worth collecting? This list of 2006 coin mistakes was made by us for you!
Since 1938, the US has made the Jefferson nickel. While this coin has been around for a long time, it is not as well known as other U.S. coins like the penny or quarter. Still, if you know what you’re doing, collecting Jefferson nickels can be fun.
Most of the time, Jefferson nickels are only worth their face value if they have been used. If you are lucky enough to find a nickel that has never been used, it might still be worth about what it’s market value, unless it is a gem-quality coin with an MS66 or higher grade.
Does this mean that nickels from Jefferson are worthless? Not at all! It was already said that these coins can be worth a lot of money if you know what to look for. It is possible to collect a lot of valuable Jefferson nickels, especially if you are looking for mistakes.
Certain mistakes can fetch a high price, as our list of the best nickel errors from 2006 shows. You just need to know which ones to avoid. Now that you’re ready to find nickel mistakes that are worth money, let’s begin.
1. 2006-P MS65 Jefferson Nickel With Die Chip Errors Reverse
When you’re collecting Jefferson nickels, the die chip is one thing that could go wrong. Die chips are usually small mistakes that happen when small pieces break off and land on the surface of the die. They leave small holes that get filled with more metal pieces as the die keeps working.
The small holes filled with metal will leave their mark on one or more planchets over time, which will cause die chip mistakes on the coin’s front or back.
Die chips that are bigger or have strange designs are often more interesting, and collectors may be willing to pay more for them. In 2021, a collector on eBay paid a huge $935 for a 2006-P Jefferson nickel that was rated MS65 and had several die chip errors on the back.
2. 2006-D MS65 Jefferson Nickel Doubled Die Obverse Error
The split die is another mistake that shows up on the 2006 Jefferson nickels. There is a mistake in this piece where the devices and writing are visible doubled because the die hit the planchet more than once at slightly different angles.
The level of doubling will have a big effect on the value of a doubled die mistake. Most of the time, mistakes that are more serious will be worth more than mistakes that are only slightly doubled. Of course, the coin’s state will also make it worth more or less.
In 2023, a collector at Heritage Auctions paid an amazing $950 for a 2006-D Jefferson nickel graded MS65 that had an error on the front die that was doubled. This is a mistake that you should add to your collection.
3. 2006-P MS60 Jefferson Nickel Struck Through Error
The next mistake we’ll look at is the struck-through error, which you can find on 2006 nickels. This mistake happens when something else gets stuck between the die and the planchet. A tiny piece of wood, a hair, string, grease, or dust are just a few examples of these kinds of things.
A strike-through error can happen when something gets stuck between the die and the planchet and leaves its mark on the coin’s surface. The loose item will usually fall off, but sometimes it can stick to the planchet and cause a retained struck-through error.
It’s more likely to be useful if the strike-through mistake is pretty clear. Heritage Collections sold a 2006-P Jefferson nickel with a struck through error on the front for a huge $1050 in 2023. This is another desirable mistake that you might want to add to your collection.
4. 2006-P MS63 Jefferson Nickel Improperly Annealed Obverse & Reverse Planchet Error
The poorly annealed planchet is another mistake you might make when collecting Jefferson nickels. The coin is a different color than normal because of this mistake; planchets that haven’t been properly annealed can look black, gray, orange, yellow, or a wide range of other colors.
When a coin is exposed to too much heat or cold during the planchet-making process, this is called improper annealing. Putting the planchets through a process of heat and cold makes them ready for minting. If there are too many, the metal could change colors.
So, what can you expect from a coin that wasn’t hardened properly? Well, that depends on how good of shape the coin is, but in general, fans are willing to pay more for annealed coins that have never been used.
For instance, in 2022, a collector at a Great Collections sale paid an amazing $710 for a 2006-P nickel graded MS63 that had a mistake on both the front and back where the metal wasn’t annealed properly.
5. 2006-D MS62 Jefferson Nickel Die Crack Error
Many of the 2006 nickels have a die crack, which is a type of mistake. As the name suggests, this is a mistake where the surface of the coin looks like it has cracks in it.
A die crack mistake happens when the surface of the die gets a crack that gets filled with small pieces of metal as the die keeps working. At some point, the metal-filled crack in the die will leave its own mark on the coin’s surface.
Cracks in the die can show up anywhere on the coin’s surface, on either side. On the coin market, cracks that are bigger or have a strange look tend to get more attention and sell for more.
Heritage Auctions sold a 2006-D nickel with a die crack along Jefferson’s face on the front for $440 in 2023. This is a simple coin to add to your collection.
Also See:-10 Most Valuable Dime Error Coins Worth Money (With Pictures)
6. 2006-D MS61 Nickel Missing Clad Layer Obverse
The next mistake we’ll look at in the 2006 nickel series is the clad layer that is missing. This mistake happens when the coin’s top clad layer peels off, revealing the copper body inside.
If the link between the clad layer and copper core is weak, it could peel, bubble, or crack. Impurities in the metal can make this happen because they can get in the way of the bonding process.
Depending on how good the coin is, mistakes with missing clad layers can be worth more. A 2006-D MS61 nickel from 2021 that sold for $580 on eBay has a missing clad layer on the front. This is a good sample.
7. 2006-P MS60 Straight Clipped Planchet Jefferson Nickel Error
The clipped planchet is another mistake you might make when collecting Jefferson nickels. When you clip a planchet, it means that one or more sides are broken along the edge of the coin.
This mistake happens when the blanking die, which is used to cut planchets from the metal plate, cuts into an empty spot on the plate while cutting the next planchet. This makes the planchet missing a piece, which is called a cut planchet.
The blanking die cuts into the planchet at different angles, so the clipped planchets can be straight, bent, or jagged. In general, this can be a very big mistake. Stay alert for coins that have bigger clipped planchet mistakes; they are more likely to be valuable.
8. 2006-P MS63 Jefferson Nickel Misaligned Die Error
On to the next mistake: the misaligned die error. This is something you might see when you are collecting 2006 nickels. The front and back patterns are not lined up correctly, which is a mistake.
The obverse and reverse dies should be lined up so that the images on both sides are in the middle of the planchet. The dies can get out of place sometimes because of mistakes made by humans or machines.
If the dies on a coin aren’t lined up right, you might see that the design on the front is turned at an angle to the design on the back, or the other way around. For instance, Jefferson’s picture might be turned 45 degrees, while the reverse design is straight and in the middle.
It’s possible to get a lot of money for a misaligned die mistake, especially if the difference between the front and back designs is big. One example is this 2006-P MS63 nickel that had a die error that wasn’t lined up right. A collector paid $1020 for it at a Great Collections sale in 2022.
9. 2006-D MS61 Jefferson Nickel Brokage Error
The brokage is another exciting mistake that shows up in the 2006 coin errors series. When a planchet doesn’t come off the punched hub and instead sticks to the die, the back of the planchet becomes the new face of the die. This is called a brokage.
The stuck planchet on the front and the anvil die on the back will then hit the blank planchets that come in. This makes the planchets have a weak front image with the back design and a similar but stronger back image. This type of coin is called a brokage error coin.
