I'd call it fully struck. Really nice. The portico REALLY stands out. Problem is, it might only make "5 full steps" and maybe not even that. The nick in the top two steps just inside the left column might prevent it from being FS. Not only weak strikes can prevent the FS designator but also bag dings that cut across the steps. Same as with FBL on Franklin halves. You'll need an opinion from someone better than I.
Quite possibly, but it depends on what the rest of the coin looks like. Would you mind posting a pic of the entire coin Doug, both sides. I'd call it one minted in the '90s or later.
2010P received in change at Costco and not even UNC. (to use an old term since there is wear on the chin) but the question was regarding the column bases not the grade. There is another current post showing a really nice registry set with many FS coins which have next to no window detail and hardly show the side steps at all. I don't collect US or follow the fads but I admit finding humor in a coin being diminished for one bag mark on the steps more than the hundred other marks (check the gash on the nose). This all started when I was asked to do a 15 minute program for a local coin club on photography (don't laugh, my ancient photos are better than this - I have no experience lighting lustrous coins). I wanted to include some US in the slides to try to keep the US collectors in the group awake but all the US I have are left over from my collection from the 50's and 60's. I needed a sharp subject for a macro image and remembered getting a couple new nickels in change so grabbed this one. I never knew that the columns had the three step bases so I asked the question. Rough draft of slide show: http://www.pbase.com/dougsmit/coinphotobasic Are all 2010 nickels this much sharper than the older ones (like the registry set in that other thread)? Does it have something to do with the obverse change or did the mint just decide to upgrade their quality control? I have noted very few 2010 coins in circulation yet.
Doug here's the deal. I don't recall the exact date, but sometime in 1990 the mint redesigned the master hub for Jefferson nickels. Prior to that point it was downright rare to find a Jeff with a well struck reverse - one that shows the details on Monticello. But from that point on (1990) it became the rule that the reverse was almost always well, if not fully struck. That's why 6 Full Step nickels are so common if they were struck after 1990. edit - Here is a list, along with the dates, of the hub design changes for the Jefferson nickel. By using this list you can know what to expect to find for well struck coins for a given time period. From Mike Locke's page on hub design changes for US coins - http://users.scronline.com/lockem/20thcentury.txt 1938 Jefferson, recessed top step, small obverse star Steps are most noticeably different at the ends. Later hub has the center 4 steps "in a box" and not touching anything. 1939-1956,1959-1965 Jefferson, no initials, box around steps, larger star 1939 exists with the reverse of 1938. 1940-D comes well struck in this date range. ?? It is not clear if the hub of 1959 is the same or different than the hub of 1939? They sure look the same. 1942-1945 As above, silver alloy Another planchet variety. 1957-1958 Large star on obverse 1966 Jefferson, initials added (obv next, rev previous) Very tough to find really nice and fully struck. Possibly the most expensive nickel in this set with full strike (Ramapaugh estimated $200 for a five stepper=not quite fully struck) I remember sorting through nickels when these were new and asking myself what steps are they talking about? I don't see any steps! 1967-1970 Jefferson, Door, window lines and porch strengthened 1971-1972 Reverse revised, tops of doors & windows angled, top step thinned 1971 come well struck 1972-1976 (not 1972 prf) Obverse revised, adams apple reshaped 1977-1981 Obv and rev revised, hair and doors strengthened 1982-1989 Obv & rev revised, letters thinner, details sharper Breen has good pictures of each of the above changes in the encyclopedia 1990?- Obverse revised, more hair detail esp. at ear The changes here are subtle. It is more of a strengthening than an overt change of design. I see evidence of another change in 1993 or 1994, but it is tough to really tell. However, it should be noted that starting in 1990 a full 6 step strike became the norm rather than the exception.
Thank you. This is the kind of numismatics that could be interesting. Here I thought recent day US collectors only collected labels on their slabs.
