Featured The "1938" Jefferson Nickel Award Winning Design

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Eric Babula, May 4, 2019.

  1. Eric Babula

    Eric Babula Active Member

    The Jefferson Nickel replaced the Buffalo Nickel design in 1938. The Mint held a design competition that year for the new Jefferson Nickel which was ultimately won by Felix Schlag. However, after winning the design competition, the Mint required Schlag to make revisions to his original award-winning reverse design of Monticello. In 2002, the Jefferson Full Step Nickel Club commissioned the production of Jefferson Nickels in .999 fine silver which featured Schlag’s original award winning design. Two types of nickels were made, one with a regular proof finish and the other with a matte proof finish. A total mintage of 1,938 sets were produced, encapsulated by SEGS and individually numbered on the SEGS labels.
    20190503_201407 - Copy.jpg 20190503_201419.jpg
    So, what do you all think about these tokens? Just a gimmick for SEGS/JFSNC to make some $$? Or, something that Jefferson collectors would want? I picked these up when they came out back in the early 2000s, but it was just on a whim (thought it would be cool to have), rather than because I was a fan of Jefferson Nickels or wanted a piece of the design history. Is this something that you see as being of value to Jefferson Nickels? Not looking to sell......just wondering what others think of these.

    Sorry for the crappy pics - just took a couple quick pics with my cell phone, at the kitchen table.
     
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

  4. Paddy54

    Paddy54 Well-Known Member

    20180501_172052.jpg I've seen prices up to $400 for the set....but what ever someone is willing to pay would be my guess. But since they are a limited set of 1938 pcs. I can see where 300 to 400 would be a fair asking price.
     
    ZoidMeister, NSP, Ima Dragon and 2 others like this.
  5. Eric Babula

    Eric Babula Active Member

    @Paddy54 I was more wondering if these tokens were something that Jefferson Nickel collectors thought were worth collecting and sought after, or if they thought this was just a gimmick and not of any real import to their series collection. But, in a way, with you indicating a $300-$400 price tag, maybe that gives me my answer. I wanna say I paid about $80 for the set (I'd have to go back in my records to know actual price), so value has gone up, which means people do want to collect these.

    Owning these has sparked some interest for me to learn more about how some coins were designed, and changed, before and during their lifetimes!
     
  6. robec

    robec Junior Member

    I love them, plus they are silver.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  7. Paddy54

    Paddy54 Well-Known Member

    Well that was the reason I purchased mine. I collected Jefferson nickels.
     
  8. TypeCoin971793

    TypeCoin971793 Just a random guy on the internet

    For a while Bill Fivaz had at least 10 sets at $65 each. I just could not afford to swing it while he had them. Seems like passing was a very poor choice.
     
  9. Ima Dragon

    Ima Dragon Year of the Dragon

    I'm so very glad I found this forum . I learn something new quite often . I collect Thomas Jefferson and I have not heard of these before now . I will definitely be looking for them . For a Silver Proof and Silver Matte Set I'd be willing to part with $300.00 - $400.00 bucks .
     
    ZoidMeister likes this.
  10. Paddy54

    Paddy54 Well-Known Member

    My set numbered #991 matched pair is for sale ....pm me if interested.
     
    Ima Dragon likes this.
  11. Paddy54

    Paddy54 Well-Known Member

    One can only do what one can do..... would of,should of and could of will pop up many times in life and numastic's.
    Sometimes things do come together sometimes they don't. ...that's when you count your blessings and realize that your "want's" will always exceed your true "need's" in life!
    How long ago was Bill selling these at $65?
    As I rarely see them anywhere ....in fact last Sunday at the show I showed them to no less than 25 dealers....not 1 had ever seen or heard of these items.
     
    Ima Dragon likes this.
  12. TypeCoin971793

    TypeCoin971793 Just a random guy on the internet

    Up to just a couple years ago. He had them for several years before that. I assume they have all been sold by now. Otherwise I might have to see about getting them
     
  13. Paddy54

    Paddy54 Well-Known Member

    I wonder if Bill was a member having so many pairs in his collection?
     
  14. Neal

    Neal Well-Known Member

    Just think, if the mint had gone with this design, there never would have been any FS designation or arguments over whether it was or wasn't FS.
     
  15. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    Who would want that? Looking for Pristine, FS Jefferson's is why most of us collect Nickels in the first place.
     
    TypeCoin971793 likes this.
  16. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    More like "Full Columns" or some other stupid gimmick like that.
     
  17. Lehigh96

    Lehigh96 Toning Enthusiast

    I bought a couple of these sets about 10 years ago, I think I paid in the $200 range. It would make me very happy if they are actually selling for $300-$400.
     
  18. johnmilton

    johnmilton Well-Known Member

    The interesting about this design is that the mint paid Schlag for his winning design and then changed most of the aspects of it. Sorry Jefferson Nickel lovers, but the government ordered reverse has never to done anything for me. It lacks depth and visual interest. Years ago a critic called the Lincoln Memorial Cent reverse “a trolley car” and to me the Jefferson Nickel looks pretty much the same way.

    Schlag’s original design was much better, but the claim was the mint could not mass produce it. In other words, it would not have struck well on the high speed presses of the time.

    Here is a photo of Monticello from the "Jefferson Nickel Angle."

    jeff nickel shot Crop.JPG

    Oddly enough I didn't take a photo of the left side of the building at the same angle as the Schlag design. I do have this one of the right side. Since the building is fairly symmetrical, which was considered to be an esthetic requirement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the view is similar to the Schlag design.

    Montecell Right.jpg
     
  19. Paddy54

    Paddy54 Well-Known Member

  20. Mike Davis

    Mike Davis Well-Known Member

     
  21. Mike Davis

    Mike Davis Well-Known Member

    I goggled looking for the Jefferson Full Step Nickle Club and wound up here. I was actively collecting Jefferson's and had got quite interested in the club. Sadly right now, I don't remember if I bought the coins you listed or not. I will have to go through some stuff to see if I can find it. But yes, I like the coin just don't remember IF I bought it when they were offered or not. And thanks to the powers to be for letting me in.
     
    Paddy54 likes this.
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page