Can someone please explain why the prices on 1960s nickles vary in price so much. I found a box with a bunch of different old coins. One was a 1961 Jefferson 5c no mint and full steps. I was told it’s 5/6 steps and not a proof. Is it worth sending out to have graded? Ive seen them online for face value so I’m not sure what to do. I apologize if someone has posted this question already. Thank you
Hi @Angel327 - there are a lot of things that effect the value of any coin. Two biggies are How many were made & the condition yours is in. I don't know a lot about 1961 nickels - nothing special jumps to my mind but I do know it was a good year. If you found it in a box with other coins it's circulated wich means people used it for change. "Mint State" or "Proof" coins have very little or no wear so they are closer to perfect. That is why collectors pay more for them. Hope that helps. Welcome to the site
Welcome to Coin Talk. Clear photos of the entire coin, both obverse and reverse would help to determine what you have.
Thank you so much for the information also taking the time to answer my question. It looks like it was circulated but it’s in really nice condition. It stands out from the rest to me.
Thank you! I’m trying to get a good picture but it’s really a struggle to get a nice one. I’ll post what I have. It’s hard getting all the steps. If these aren’t good enough I’ll try again. Thank you for taking a look
It's certainly a nice circulation find and for that date makes it better. However it's a common date and while nice looking the grading fees would be more than the value of the coin. I personally don't consider this a FS coin, just a wee bit too much break in the steps on the left side according to you photo. Welcome to CT.
Thank you! I genuinely don’t know much about this stuff. my pictures are terrible. It looks different in every picture. When u say left side do u mean on the actual step all the way on the side to the left? Or the outer block?
Thank you. I’m very new at this. It also doesn’t help that I’m trying to take pictures with my child’s magnafine glass which has a few scratches already and a camera phone. Taking pics has been a challenge needless to say. As per that area it does looks like it maybe under construction. Their is some small black smudge on the coin around that area. I was told do not touch it or try cleaning it. U can see the black right under the N too.
It takes practice but try just using your cell. Take a photo from about 5-6" away with a steady hand so it doesn't get blurry. They crop that photo to as large as you can to get rid of the background. That should clear things up for you. I see that carbon spot. Not much you can do about that. Nickels are low priced so to get one worth grading from a circulation find is almost impossible. The cost factor of grading makes it prohibitive so it's not worth it despite it being a nice coin.
