I’m not really good at grading these so I’m curious what you guys think. The guy at the shop said EF-40. Thanks!
I'm no expert at grading this series, but that sounds about right to me, too. Not sure what divides VF-35 from EF-40, but I don't think I'd go much lower or higher than those. It almost looks like there's some luster on the reverse; do you see any in hand?
I think there’s a tiny bit of luster on the reverse but it’s really hard to tell. I paid $15 for it so I just wanted to know if I got screwed or a fair deal.
Would you say $15 is a fair price for it? That’s what I paid for it and I’m trying to determine if I got a fair deal or ripped off. Usually the first time I go to a new coin shop I buy something small just to get an idea of if the dealer is honest & fair or just trying to get as much money as possible even if it means ripping someone off.
$15 is a fair retail price. I always keep an eye out for Unc examples of the 1883 "With Cents" variety. I've picked up quite a few over the years on eBay at the "Without Cents" price. I stopped buying coins on eBay once they began charging sales tax.
To be honest I don’t really collect these specifically. I just wanted an example since I think the V on the reverse looks cool. Plus it’s awesome to have coins from pre-1900s America.
I finished both my MS/PF sets (minus the 1913, of course). I think it's a sleeper series. These were highly circulated coins at the time and I suspect there are fewer attractive MS examples than people realize. My "value equation" is Value = Collector Base / Availability. I believe the Liberty series is a staid, Victorian design overshadowed by the beautiful Buffalo design that replaced it...reducing the "Collector Base" as a result. Should the collector base expand in coming years, values for nice examples of this series could pop. Lustrous MS examples of the 1894-1896 are sleepers imo...and somewhat hard to find. I've been quietly hoarding these as they become available.
Yes...that 1913 would make for a fine addition to your collection...like the 1882. I agree with your assessment. Timing on building this series might be optimal.
Fair deal, for sure. If you were very patient and lucky you could probably find one for $10, and you won't be able to sell this one to a dealer for anywhere near what you paid, but nobody got taken advantage of. These "no-cents" nickels were heavily saved when they came out, so there are a lot of high-grade examples available, and prices are low. Any other date in this condition, even the most common ones, would be double the price. So it's the perfect choice as a type coin.
The 1883 No Cents Nickel is a very common coin in EF or better. You can find a better one very easily. In fact, the 1883 No Cents is often used to fill the Liberty Nickel type slot in lower priced type sets. It's easier to find nice than most of the later dates. After the omission of the word "CENTS" was noted in the design, people set many of them aside back in the day. Although the the "with CENTS" coin has a higher mintage, it's tougher to find in similar grades.
