I opened the OBW roll of 1961 nickels that I bought on eBay. No Full Steps. Anything else worth searching for before I give em away to kids as uncircs?
Well, of course not. There was never a realistic chance of that to begin with. If you don't want them, then there is no greater show of kindness, and dedication to the future of our hobby, than to give them to a young coin collector.
Maybe quite slim, but I believe it is possible to find FS nickels, Actually in 1961 the odds are in your favor according to the Nickel Analyst ... 1961 is a 1 in 150 chance for a 5 FS .. Now 61D thats another story, thats a 1 in 5000 for a 5 FS... However... Once you find a fully struck coin showing 5 steps then you must then find one without any marks in the steps and that is where the real challenge lies! Best of luck Mike, enjoy the quest, because the journey is fun and don't get too discouraged ...
That information is out of date. The authour was relating his experiences in searching original, unsearched rolls, and it hasn't been updated in 20 years. With the addition of "Registry Set" investors, and the tremendous interest in Jefferson nickels created by the Westward Journey program, there can be no doubt that "original unsearched" rolls are rare, to say the least. Take into account that the roll was purchased on eBay, and I am very confident in my original statement. Don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone to be discouraged either, but it's obvious that the OP has very little interest in the coins, unless there is something about them that makes them valuable. I just don't want him to be mislead into believing that finding a "full step" 1961 nickel, is any different than buying a lottery ticket. You can play the game for years, and never win.
I have a question about values of OBW rolls. I have a few rolls of 1962 Nickels that are OBW. I know that they are original and unsearched since I know the source. My daughter has started a nickel collection and I plan on opening a roll to give her a coin from her great grandfathers collection. I know a roll can't have as much value as that. However, I want to make sure I am not opening a $200 roll. I will read through the postings here to get an idea on how to search for FS nickels. I assume that you don't want them hitting each other when you open the roll, wear gloves, etc.. Thanks, 65GT350
Hello, You can go ahead and open them. They go for about $15 on eBay, but if you were to try to sell them to a dealer, you'd probably get a lot less. Yes, it's better to wear clean, white cotton gloves when handling BU coins, to avoid getting oily fingerprints on them. A "full step" coin is simply a coin that is particularly well struck, and unscarred, in one small area of the entire design. Bernard Nagengast only counted those coins that had five, of a possible six, uninterrupted full steps, and would have graded at least MS-65. I'll see if these pics will be of any help. This is "full steps". This is not. And this is not.
Very good referance photos you provided Jody, I have saved a link to this thread as I am sure that question of full steps will pop up time to time from other members... Well done... And you are right it is a lottery ticket to search these rolls, but I have found quite a few very borderline FS coins, I have also got quite a few by searching dealer stocks that they never bothered to attribute, I cherry picked a 61D I would give the steps an easy 5,5,4,5 (currently in a old style PCGS MS65 holder) that I bought off a dealer for $10 back in 95 or 96 and I have often thought, it just may tip one way or the other to a 5555, Maybe I'm just lucky or maybe its just Alaska, but I have had tremendous luck when searching for pre 70 FS obw coins...
Thank you for the information. I opened the roll and I didn't find any full steps but I did notice a few things. 1. I found a clipped? coin. It is kinda of cool that the coin has been away for close to 45 years. 2. I also found coins with a die crack on the lower jaw. When the coin has this die crack it appears that the hair below the covered ear is doubled. I think it might be ejection doubling but I am not sure. The one on the left is normal and the one on the right is the one with the die crack 65GT350
Yep. The first one is a rim clip error coin. Don't know about the second. Someone may have to download it, and post it as a picture.
Jody. Excellent pictures of the full step, there are a lot of reference books that need to be updated. As good as some of the old reference material is, here at cointalk there is a vast amount knowledge and excellent photographs of all type of coins that members have found and researched. It is a good idea to always do a search in the search box at the top of the page for any new info on coinage. Bruce.
Glad to see we are talking about full steps, I was not sure what that meant and I am starting to collect nickels. Thanks! I bought this 1961 nickel from a antique shop yesterday for .99 (how did I do?) Although it is impossible to tell from my lousy pic, this coin indeed has fs! This coin is flawless except for the obverse has some sort of toning or spot or somthing under the letters T and Y in LIBERTY. Anyone wanna guess a grade? Ok, so I am thinking this is a proof, and also thinking the "fs" thing does not apply to proofs. Is this right?
I think you are right too. My response was going to be that I don't think FS applies to proofs but your edit was already in.
Hello, Bruce. You are absolutely right, and your advice is well taken. Several of you have offered me kind words on this thread, and I'd like to say "thanks" to all of you.
Here are two images of the coin. The more I look at it I am thinking it is a die chip in the lower chin with a die scratch from the chip up the jaw line. The doubling appears as the bright white area in the hair. Thanks, 65GT350
You seem to have a valid point about the die chip. I can recall reading that die chips can sometimes begin as die cracks, eventually leading to a piece falling away. I'm not totally convinced about the doubling. It doesn't look much different than the expected design details, to me. Understand, though, I'm looking a picture, and not the actual coin. Another thing to keep in mind, is that I'm probably not the best person to ask about the subject of errors. I have an interest in them, and a fairly good working knowledge, but what I know fails in compairison to some other folks'.
Some notes on “full steps” are worthy of consideration since this is the main focus of many collectors of Jefferson nickels. A FS nickel is one where all six steps (treads) of the porch of Monticello are fully incused and uninterrupted by ticks or bridges from the left to right buttress of the porch. Steps are counted in quarter-length increments from left to right beneath the pillars of Monticello. A six step coin is denoted 6-6-6-6, while a five step coin is 5-5-5-5, with the topmost step being the porch of Monticello. Any combination of the "step count formulas" can be made, and steps of lesser count can also be attributed, for example, 5-3-2-6 or any other combination. Six full steps on Monticello is a rare or absent feature in many issues from 1938-70; many dates have no known examples. However, since the Jefferson Full Step Nickel Club has recognized "full" steps as coins bearing the top 5 steps uninterrupted, their inclusion in the series as FS coins has been widele accepted by many hobbiests. There is a clear distinction, however, between 6 and 5 FS nickels, the former being of true rarity, and the latter being but somewhat rare (except for a few issues) and a matter of relent among aficionados of the series who know that a complete 6 FS set is impossible. Personally, I don't consider a coin to have "full steps", unless all the steps are there, and all the steps are full. Anything short of that, I would consider incomplete. I prefer nickels that are well struck in other areas, especially the main focal region on the obverse. I have personally owned "full step" nickels that were nearly featureless everywhere except for the step area. As always, collect what gives you the most pleasure, and avoid the hype accosiated with marketing tactics and current fads.
