US Nickels

[Prosit]

There are a lot of collectors that think the Nickels are boring. The Roosevelt dimes are not that popular either.
Those boring sets are the series I gravitate to :-)

All Barber coins are considered boring by many however there is enough collector interest that they are not cheap, unfortunately.

Another set of US coins I like a lot are Washington Quarters. many consider them boring at least compared to standing liberty.
Washington quarters are a favorite of mine and I have a lot in MS. Although there are a lot of the Silver coins I won't attempt to afford ever in that grade.

Dale

And folks didn't think Nickels were fun 

[gpimper]

Dale, I have to agree with everything you said.  I have to move through Dimes after I finish up Nickels...then to Quarters :-)  I've a few pretties I think you will appreciate.  Trying to pace it.

[brandm24]

In 1950 the mint at Denver minted 2.62 million coins making the 1950-D the lowest mintage of the series. There were a lot of hype and promotion and there were a LOT of them saved in mint state. So although it is the lowest mintage in MS-65 grade you should be able to find one for $20-30 USD while some of the earlier coins with much higher mintage in MS condition will cost more.

Dale

That's a great example of a 50-D, Dale.

I well remember the hype over the rarity of the coin because of the low mintage. I actually bought one or two because of it. I didn't collect Jeffersons but had a small number of particular dates that I liked...a few war nickels in decent shape, the 50-D's and a couple of the earlier ones.

I like the coins , especially the new designs with updated portraits of Jefferson and the Westward Journey Nickels.

Bruce

[brandm24]

Here's a couple of coins I found in my stuff that have minor errors on them. Both may be delaminated , but the 1952 looks to possibly be a die crack. In-hand the line looks raised but it may be that the peeling hasn't progressed far enough to make it obvious. I just can't tell for sure on that one.

I need to find out if there are any 1952 Jeffersons showing die cracks known. Could be an interesting variety.

Bruce

[gpimper]

The 52 is interesting  If were a crease I would mark it up as damage but the fact that it's raised makes me wonder.  I've poked around but haven't found anything.

[gpimper]

Jefferson Nickels didn't change all the way up to 2004.  In 2004 the reverse got new destines while the obv. was still the F. Schlag design.  First in the series was the "Western Expansion-Lewis & Clark Bicentennial" pipe and hatchet designed by Norman E. Nemeth.  Second that year depicted Lewis and Clark's keelboat by Al Maletsky.

[brandm24]

The 52 is interesting  If were a crease I would mark it up as damage but the fact that it's raised makes me wonder.  I've poked around but haven't found anything.

I just can't tell for sure, but I'm thinking more along the lines of the first stage of a delamination. Just not that well developed yet.

I used to have both volumes of the Cherry Pickers Guide that detailed all known varieties on US coins but donated it to my coin club a couple of years ago. Since we haven't had a meeting in 6 months or so I haven't been able to get my hands on it.

Thanks for looking for me, Greg.

Bruce

[gpimper]

Almost through Nickels...2005 they completely changed (no pun intended :-) the nickel design.  T. Jefferson now had a large profile to the right and there were two different rev. designs, the first by Jamie Franki and Norman E. Nemeth.  The Bison you've seen but the other is "Pacific coastline" by Joe Fitzgerald and Donna Weaver.  2005-D and rev of a 2005-P.  One more to go!

[gpimper]

I'm going to finish with Nickels with this one.  2006 to present the mints went to a Jefferson portrait (kind of scares me) and back to F. Schlag design along with John Mercanti.  Nice design in my opinion.  Notice the Enhanced MONTICELLO.  2019-D and I'm done with US Nickels.  On to Dimes after a little breather :-) 

[brandm24]

The more I look at the original portrait the more I like it. In a nice Unc or other grade the details really show through. The new portrait is a little bit odd now that I look at that one more closely too. I guess "scary" is a good description, Greg.

The Jeffersons were never a popular series for me to collect. The new reverses are an improvement over the Monticello one, but not spectacular. The real Monticello is a wonderful place to visit. Has anyone else been there?

Bruce

[Figleaf]

Ocean in view! O! The joy! reminded me of the first time I saw the Pacific. Being a student, I used a Greyhound bus, rather than a keelboat. I'd arrived from Salt Lake City in San Francisco by way of the Oakland Bay bridge at night. Dead tired with a severe sleep deficit, I collapsed in a cheap hotel bed, only to wake up very early in the morning. I walked uphill. It was a bit of a walk. I arrived in time to see Golden Gate bridge's towers stick out above the mist. It was magical. I could smell the clean air. I decided I wasn't ready for a day in the city, took a Greyhound bus out to Sausolito and spent the day there, charging the batteries and looking at the waves. Was back in bed before I'd had time for dinner and ready to go exploring the next morning.

Peter

[gpimper]

The wife is amazing (and seems to love me still ;-)  Found a 1972 Mint set.  Check this! I've not seen it before...

[gpimper]

I've found that I really preferer Mints over Proofs...more authentic.  Here's a really nice '72.  Again, the wife sill loves my...some times :-)

[brandm24]

Ocean in view! O! The joy! reminded me of the first time I saw the Pacific. Being a student, I used a Greyhound bus, rather than a keelboat. I'd arrived from Salt Lake City in San Francisco by way of the Oakland Bay bridge at night. Dead tired with a severe sleep deficit, I collapsed in a cheap hotel bed, only to wake up very early in the morning. I walked uphill. It was a bit of a walk. I arrived in time to see Golden Gate bridge's towers stick out above the mist. It was magical. I could smell the clean air. I decided I wasn't ready for a day in the city, took a Greyhound bus out to Sausolito and spent the day there, charging the batteries and looking at the waves. Was back in bed before I'd had time for dinner and ready to go exploring the next morning.

Peter

Brings back memories, some from not that long ago. I've been there quite a few times and have visited and explored some interesting places. San Francisco and  that area are beautiful, the wine country of Marin Co., Half Moon Bay on the coast, Lancaster (in the high desert), Death Valley ( a tad warm there ) redwood groves near La Honda and the Giant Sequoias in the Sierra Nevada Mts.(mostly in Nevada, but close enough). I did a couple of jobs out there too. Edwards Airforce Base ( saw the space shuttle land there) and Twenty-Nine Palms .

All that and never took a tour of the San Francisco Mint. I have to get my priorities straight.

Bruce

[brandm24]

I like the mint sets better too, Greg. Although beautiful coins they're a bit too "perfect" for me. "Authentic" is a good way to describe them.

Now, moving onto wives. I think our wives always love us but just pretend they don't sometimes...like when you spend more time playing with your coins than with her.

Bruce