Plenty of reasons.... http://varietynickels.com/pages/jefferson-nickel/grading/understanding-full-steps.php and other sites can let you know more reasons.
I understand what FS are, but my point is a coin that is uncirculated should always have FS. I know I probably am missing something, but that's the basis for my question. thanks
Full steps can only be achieved with a good die and a full strike. Either one of these factors can prevent a coin being full steps. In many years the dies are the main culprit. Full steps is just a way to quantify fresh dies and full strike, things that have always been in demand, as they should since they impart greater details. Chris
No.... Just because the coin is MS, it doesn't mean it will have FS. Some coin's dies are such that they will not produce FS on a coin, other issues can be that the hammer die (generally, the obverse) when it strikes will cause the steps not to be as distinct, therefore not producing full steps. Also, as soon as it's minted, any dings on those steps Immmediately makes them not FS.
Thank you. Today I learned something new, but I worry what I pushed out of my brain to learn something new. Hope it's not the way to work
I believe I had read someplace that due to the equipment and the dies it was almost impossible to find full step coins.I believe the 60's were a very tough decade or at least many of the years of the 60's were tough to get gem FS nickels.
I'd say decent strike rather than full strike. From my observations less than 1% of FS nickels have a full strike. Less than 10% of them (FS nickels) even have what I would call a good strike.
This is correct. I think 1962 is about the only date in the decade where full step nickels are available in any quantity at all; there are dates during the decade where full step nickels are completely unknown. War nickels, OTOH, are fairly common with full steps, especially if they were made in Denver.
