This is a GTG, It is tilted side ways about 20 some degrees, sorry for the shadows, but it made an interesting view upon the coin. I had to change the lights to detail the rev. It is not as gold as the Obv.
I'm going to say 66 due to the 50 D having been a weak strike and this one seems to have a full strike.
I will guess MS66; the obverse looks clean but the scratch on the reverse could knock it down a notch.
Looks like a solid 65. Good strike...Probably a genuine coin but who can tell? Ones with a weak strike are likely fakes from China...They were imported by the barrel full and not distinguishable from genuine coins.
The Chinese imported many thousands of 50-Ds in the late 60s to early 70s. Q David bowers quotes this in his analogy of famous coin hoards. They were worth much more then than now, so the Chinese made a master die from a well struck 50-D. They then made working dies for striking the counterfeits. Yes, barrels full were imported and sold. The Mint officials could not distinguish real coins from the fakes. The fakes all have one thing in common...weak strikes. I don't even look twice at any 50-D with less than 4 full steps.
Agree with all who said 65. As mentioned there is a scratch on the back, but Thomas cut himself shaving, too; very pretty nickel but those two scratches keep it at 65 for me. Steve
You know I've been a collector of the 5 cent piece primarily for the last 50/57 years, not once ever have I heard such a tale. The 50 D nickel was hoarded hard to find in anything but uncirculated. Thus the scaracy of the coin , in 1964 the red book value of an MS 64 50 D nickel = $34/35 adjusted for inflation that's around $325.00 today' bucks, at present a MS 64 50 D in 2018 money $18.00 ---> in today's MONEY!
Maybe they thought nobody would figure them for counterfeits and they were hard up and could really use the money.
Yeah paddy. Now i have heard your version before. The china one may be true. But i ain't stepping in that one
I will have to do some research. If they were counterfeited, I am sure there is die markers to tell them apart. They look good to me.