Long hailed as the rarest date in the series because it has the lowest mintage of any regular issue, the 1926-S seems overrated in the popular grades of VF - EF. Only in AU and above does this coin’s reputation hold true. Mint state examples are very scarce, gems nearly unknown.
Worn reverse dies are the norm for 1926-S. These were probably leftovers from previous years, since dateless dies could be used until they failed completely. Weakness in the bison’s head is common enough that many examples offered as VF and EF do not meet the criteria for these grades and have been assigned them simply on the basis of overall wear. Well struck coins are worth a substantial premium over lesser examples.
1926-S nickels have good luster and were struck on well made planchets. They are sometimes found with unattractive toning of golden brown, and this problem likewise affects pieces in the higher circulated grades.
Mintage:
| Philadelphia | Denver | San Francisco |
| 44,693,000 | 5,638,000 | 970,000 |