Will the Jefferson Nickel Wake Up, in this Decade ?

"Will the Jefferson Nickel Wake Up, in this Decade ? "

I say yes. With the melt value hovering at face value (so, is it fiat money or not?) I think this decade we'll see the composition change. Then there will be tremendous interest in the current series.

 

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Larger photos please......

Always enjoy your Jeff's Paul. :smile

 

Yeah, the series will see a spike once there’s a major design change - guess the change after the westward bounds weren’t enough, still a Jefferson. Great time to build a collection in gems though, wouldn’t it have been nice to have done that with buffalos. I am socking away several of the Jeffs I think have potential. What I’d be interesting in knowing is, how many are putting away rolls? If few are, great, you’d be one of the few to have bu’s to sell when the series does have it’s day. I like collecting/hoarding coins that have potential, but are out of favor and try to stay away from what the sheep are buying – sometimes it pays off, sometime it doesn’t.

 

Since I'm not a big fan of that coin I probably miss such postings. If I do read them, most likely just forget them. I know there are many that do like that coin and many, many more that don't. Sure would be a good item for poll. Do you like them, do you collect them, etc.
I presently have 8 completed sets of those in Whitman Classic albums. It's not that I hate them, I just don't prefer them compared to many other coins.
So one good thing about this post is it brings out the braggers about that coin.

 

Spike? I dunno. Have Franklin Halves spiked (and we're talking 100% silver that's almost completely disappeared from circulation -- while Jeff nickels will be in circulation for a while)? I'm not saying they won't spike, but given, e.g., how many Indian Head cents can still be picked up for $1 (in G-4), or how many Merc Dimes for under $2 (given that melt is over $1) . . . I'm not as certain as you are. And these coins have had a 100+ and 65+ year head start in terms of not being minted!

One of the things I've learned it is just because you never see it in circulation, doesn't mean it's rare -- most are sold wherever coins are sold.

 

Oh my, flying colors, right on!! You go Lehigh!! I love Jeffersons too!! That said I wish I could find a nice large hoard of gem bu war nickels!! Anyways, I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon but that's ok. A man can dream, in fact it's funny all of the time and fun most of the time. I may never have a really large collection of Jefferson nickels but I have alot of fun looking just the same. Jefferson nickels are the collectors only true soloist coin! What other US coin has steps that all collectors care about? None!! What other US coin got special attention during war time? None! What other coin has a true following and never deviates from the truth? I don't know about that one but it sounded good to me. Go Jefferson nickels!!!!!

 

I like collecting circulated Jeffs for fun cause you can find them older than 1965!

 

I have to say that the only Jefferson nickels that I have really seen that I like are yours. And I havn't seen coins like yours on the market.

I guess my only thing againt jeffersons is the fact that they are not silver, well, the majority of them. I cant seem to wrap my head around buying something that is not silver, or gold. I like the jefferson design, and that it very well pick up in the future.


LouieLot


And for the record, I like roosevelt dimes(1946-1964) and franklin halves, but that is an argument for a different thread.

 

It is my belief that with the influx of new collectors to this hobby (given the State Quarters and America The Beautiful programs by the US Mint) that some time soon you will begin to see a "spike" in the more traditional issues as these new collectors begin to branch out into other areas. Only a matter of time.

 

The only thing is -- I would think most of these new collectors would try to get the coins from circulation, just like so many of them are collecting quarters that way.

Hey -- if you're wrong, we'll all make out well! But, I'm not optimistic. I've been hearing "Jeff nickels is the undervalued, and only affordable complete, set to get" for -- literally! -- decades.

 

While we are discussing jeffersons, I have to add a random fact about them.

The portrait of jefferson on the obverse looks like Mozart, who was alive when Thomas Jefferson was alive. Many people invision mozart as being ancient in their heads, but he is really not that old.

 

Very well could happen, collectors branching out. But at the moment and for seeable future The Mint is holding the new collectors “captive” with one new program after another. I think they’ve gotten accustom to the arbitrage from the quarter, so who knows what’s next after the Parks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, beats the heck out of only a standard mint & proof set begrudging sold to you by The Mint. Guess for the foreseeable future the huge number of new collectors will be collecting quarters, so I’m putting my two bits there. Pun intended.

 

I firmly believe that a significant portion of the current modern collectors that were brought into the hobby by the state quarter program will eventually graduate into collecting coins from the classic era. For the most part, I expect this group to be the most serious of the modern collectors who are interested in more than filling a whole in an album by searching pocket change.

The graduating class will most likely be comprised of modern registry collectors and coin forumites who have no choice but to learn about coins other than mint products. Once these collectors peak into the past, there is no going back. What classic series they choose to collect will largely depend upon their financial situation. I have shown that the Jefferson series appeals to all, rich or poor, and I would expect that many choose the Jefferson series to collect. The gateway is the war nickels. They are very affordable, extremely attractive, contain an overdate, the best Jefferson variety, and come both blast white and dramatically toned. An interest in the very popular war nickel short set will result in more full set Jefferson collectors. That is how the series got me!

However, I should point out that I don't think that increased interest in the series will have much impact on the price of the coins. IMO, the only coins that stand to see a price bump are those top pops that are coveted by registry collectors. For example, this coin would likely jump in price:

1952-S Jefferson Nickel NGC MS67: Numismedia Wholesale: $120 Population 33/0




With a population of only 33 and no full step nickels, this coin would be prime to increase in price if the registry demand increase even just a little. Now here is a Jefferson Nickel that is destined to be mired at its current price range for a long time to come:

1942-S Jefferson Nickel NGC MS66: Numismedia Wholesale: $31 Population 2924/1293



With over 1,000 coins available to collectors in a higher grade, the Jefferson series would need all of the Lincoln collectors to simultaneously dump their series and cross over to increase the value of this coin.

 

Not sure it's been asleep. My guess is we all think someone else's series is "asleep". Paul (Lehigh) has enlightened a lot of us on here about Jeffersons and shown some beautiful examples. I don't have a feel for whether the prices will move substantially higher on these but Jeffersons can have some beautiful toning and I agree with Paul that the design is underrated.

One thing it has going against it is it replaces the Buffalo, which is a bit like trying to replace Robert Plant in Zeppelin or John Elway in Denver or... well you get the idea.:smile

 

Beautiful Jeffs, how'd you get them to tone like that? Mine toned similarly by leaving them in albums for a long time.

 

That is true about replacing the Buffalo, but remember, very few people can afford to collect the Buffalo series in an attractive mint state grade. Most everyone can afford to collect Jeffersons in premium gem.

 

Yeah, or Montana in Frisco. lol You know what bugs me is that lousy thin legged buffalo they put on the 2005 coin, could have looked a lot nicer, could have used the old design, like they did on the bullion.

 

Nice analysis Lehigh -- thanks.

Genuine question -- from what I've read, I've gotten the following impression -- am I off base?

And that impression is: "And, gee, isn't that just the same as in any series? It seems that the top premium cream of the crop coins, and the truly serious keys, are the only ones that are good investments."

 

Only if they stay asleep!

 

I would think that key dates will always out perform other coins because they have demand from outside the series. For example, everyone wants a 1916-D Mercury Dime, only Mercury Dime & type collectors want an 1916 Mercury Dime. With regards to the top (cream of the crop) coins reaping the benefits, I think it is perfectly normal that the highest quality coins command the highest prices. I don't think any coins are really good investments which is to say that if you are looking to maximize return on your money, you shouldn't have your money in coins. However, I do not share the opinion of some that coins are a terrible investment that are destined to lose money. A savvy collector with good grading skills who focuses on collecting eye appealing coins and has a commitment to continuing numismatic education and patience can make money when they sell their collection. I only have the first three and expect to lose money when I sell.