Does this Jefferson Deserve Full Steps?

Does this Jefferson deserve the full step designation? The NGC standard is a little tougher than PCGS and requires that there be no breaks or bridges in the steps. PCGS standard is that small/shallow breaks are allowed as long as they don't interfere with the overall appearance of full steps on the coin.



Please vote in the attached poll whether you think the coin would get NGC 5FS, PCGS FS, or NO Full Steps.

 

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No , as there are breaks in just about every stair .

 

I only see 2 trouble areas, what are you seeing?

 

i bet PCGS gave it FS. PCGS is more lenient on these plus on franklin bell lines too

 

I would say it's a 6-4-3-5 at best and because of the nick/cuts below the third column it shouldn't be an FS. It's a close one. Maybe your pic is too good and that's why we're seeing too many breaks ;-)

 

Paul, before I tell you what I think, would you be kind enough to tell me from which step the "count" is supposed to begin. The top, bottom or either? I don't collect these, so I don't know.

TIA!

Chris

 

It might just make NGC 5 full steps. It does not seem to completely merge, and I started down from the top. No way it is 6, but it might squeak by on 5. Just my humble opinion.

 

Have a look here:
http://varietynickels.com/pages/jefferson-nickel/grading/understanding-full-steps.php

 

Paul , I must say it looks better than it did last night with not as many small breaks . But about a 1/3 away from our left side it looks like a hit that goes through the bottom 3 steps .
Now I better go check on some glasses .

 

And put down the bottle........

 

I think we are on the same page. The two problem areas I see are: 1) what appears to be a small bridge between the 3rd & 4th steps directly under the second pillar 2) A shallow nick on the 4th step under the 3rd pillar that might break both the line above and below.

The funny thing about photos of full steps is that if you don't have a great camera, stuff seems to show up that does not exist when you view the coin in hand. When I view this coin in hand under 5X magnification, it is a no brainer full step coin. I only wish I had Ray's photographic skills so I could show you guys what I am seeing.

 

That is what I am hoping, but I have a problem that I will divulge after everyone has had a chance to chime in.

 

To my surprise, NGC gave this coin a 5FS designation last year.



It is similar to the coin in the OP in that the disturbance that appears in the photo was not very prevalent in hand.

 

Based on the photo...I would say no full steps. I wish I could view it in hand because I know photos can be deceiving. But, I'm going to say no full steps based on what I can see.

That said, I am far from a expert when it comes to Jefferson Nickels.

 

I just took another photo to try and get a bit closer but I am really pushing the limits of my point & shoot camera.



The disturbance under the 3rd pillar is much less pronounced in this photo and I believe it will really all come down to how they view the tiny bridge under the second pillar.

 

This is the area the concerns me. It looks like some of the steps blend together just below the second pillar. I would think that's enough to lose the FS designation...but then again, I'm no expert with these coins or how the TPGs grade them.

 

I would give it a try and send it to NGC, especially after having seen the other coin you were posting, the one with the clear cut below the second pillar... which year is it?

 

And that is the best part. It resides in an older NGC holder that pre-dates the 5FS designation. The difference between the current holder and a 5FS designation is a few thousand dollars.



In addition, it is very pretty. I like this coin better than the 1950-D NGC MS67 5FS that currently resides in my registry set.

 

Your 2nd pic looks a lot better but what about the bottom 2 steps where they almost look fused together ?