How old does Tom have to be?

I have always kept anything 1959 or older. Even when I was a kid. Don't know why.
Sometime in the early 80s, I started keeping all my cents, partially as a collecting tactic,
to gain and keep nice examples of cents by just keeping all cents, and partly as a saving
tactic.... If I always had a bucket full of cents, I always had money.

A few years ago, with money losing value, I stopped spending nickels and dimes. So now
I have buckets of cents, and a bucket filling up with dimes/nickels. Again, same tactic...
Always have a supply of money if ever needed, and one day I will be pulling some nice
AU/BU coins out of the buckets when they are no longer found in circulation.

 

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Save what you like ! I have no idea what to do with something like AU 1960's coinage, it has to be MS-63 level or better to me...even that is iffy.

I like the concept of hoarding boxes of nickels and storing them in ammo cans in your garage.

You can't lose any real money ( just time) I wouldn't even open the rolls.

You have little chance of profit when collecting coins, therefore pick your spots.

I no longer collect, but I retain an interest in coins, so I'm here.

 

So tell me again why coins even really need a date or MM on them ! The buff nick and SLQ, designers Shirley ( Airplane reference) placed the date in a high zone ! Can't you reasonably expect the date would wear off. An otherwise solid Good coin usually has no date.

I can see doing it now for marketing reasons since the US Mint kind of sort of morphed into a combination of the RCM and Franklin mint.

in 1920, they didn't really market their wares....maybe a few proofs as more of a service !

I believe dates and MM"s are just tradition and all modern stuff is merely profiteering !

 

I can't actually call that a 1920. I'd bet if sent in to be slabbed they don't give a date on it.

Nic-a-date would restore the date, but ruin the coin !

 

The dates are evident in hand, hence "(barely visible dates)" as stated above. What you can't see in my images doesn't mean they are unreadable in hand. I wouldn't hazard a guess if I couldn't read them, in such case I would say 'no date' or something similar to describe such a coin. So there's no need for a uselessly expensive submission on a .05¢ value coin, nor chemical treatments need be applied, again the expenditure of time and resources wouldn't warrant what is visible to the naked eye, in hand. Even such a treatment, effecting the current condition of the coin in a negative manner, still wouldn't mean the current condition is particularly of any value as is.

 

I know the coin is only worth like 25 cents....I'm just curious if such a coin would slab... and at what grade...it would have to be Ag-3 or lower if slabbed, IMO.

I can come across poorly in posts at times, purely hypothetical on PCGS grading this.

I don't mean to offend.

 

Absolutely no offense taken. You may also like to check out PCGS Photograde - Buffalo Nickels to see what the low grades look like. Mine may measure about AG at best.

 

Elijah,

Take a look at this one!



Now Greg, show him yours!

 

Where do you think that coin is going to migrate to once stapled into a 2X2 ?


I can see movement if you used a half dollar sized holder on a nickel,,,,but I'd never staple as close as you choose to do on a tight fitting holder. Someday you'll slip and staple the coin !

No need to get that close with the staples, and 3 are plenty !

 

Any coin can be changed in design with a law enacted by congress hense the untimely end of the Franklin series and start of the Kennedy half era. It can also have limitations such as the statehood quarter program that set a start and stop time for mintage. A coin can be changed without congressional law after 25 years in circulation the nickel wasn't however when it could have been. To answer your specific question about the Jefferson nickel you must remember that it was changed in 2004 again in 2005 and a third time in 2006 so unless a congressman get's a wild hare to put forth a bill that becomes law we are stuck with the design of 2006 until about 2031.

 

yep

 

1959 and earlier for me as well. TC

 

Sometime when I am not busy going through the $1000 or so of nickels every week like I do, I may actually get around to doing something like photographing some of my more significant finds. I admit that I have made some finds significant enough in going through the thousands every week that I don't care to report because I don't like competition in my hoarding. But I will say I have 7 Liberty nickels, as far back as 1890. About 65 Buffalos including two dateless 1913s that stand out because of the mound on the reverse. Best date for a Buffer from the wild is the '15-D. Just this last Wednesday I found a 1923. I really will not offer too much on the silver war babies, they are my main pursuit - but I have found a couple that are uncirculated. I have found all of the early scarce dates for the Jeffersons, even multiples and better grade examples. So far the only date that has alluded my clutches is the nefarious 50-D. But I save all stuff dated 1959 and prior, always have. But I have a couple of dozen proofs - earliest 1958, a couple of 1962s and many more from the 1990s.

I have worked out programmes with my several banks and credit unions so that I now have a fairly well oiled business going. I buy up all their commercial deposits of cents and nickels. I have deals worked out with my other credit unions that I can unload the checked coinage to.

 

I started saving 1938's and 1939's about 40 years back.
Probably have 4 or 5 pint jars full.

 

I don't think the age is nearly as important as the condition.
An example : I would rather have a MS65, well struck 1982 - 1983 P or D with 4 to 5 steps in a 2x2 than a small handful of XF 1954 D's any day.
Many are keeping nickels dated before 1964 or 1960 simply because they are old with little regard for grade.
Unless they are of the more semi-key or key dates, they won't amount to much unless they are of a better die variety, such as a doubled die or repunched mintmark.
Some of the 1960's 1970's and 1980's nickels can be quite elusive with excellent strike and details and quite valuable in uncirculated condition.
So I keep any Jefferson nickels that are unusual for any given year. Finding a common date 1964 or 1964 D even in AU with 5 steps is a pretty unusual find.

 

Now that you mention it, I think I would hang on to Tom during the wartime years of 1942-1945. Otherwise you would have to go back to when he wore feathers and braids and rode a buffalo.

 

Anything worth more than 5 cents.

 

I keep anything older than 1939. I also keep '39s with mintmarks. Also, anything with a mintage of under 10 million. And of coarse, the war nickels.

 

Did the changes in 2005 and 2006 require congressional passage for a slight change?

 

This nickel seems to be a lot like mine(other than being in much better condition). Both have a die crack on the bottom of Jefferson's bust, and the center of Monticello is very weak.