Alright all you nickel lovers! Why do you collect nickels? I collect Jefferson nickels primarily. I started back into coin collecting in the late 80's and was dabling in all kinds of US coins with no goal just buying what caught my fancy, funny thing is Jefferson nickels were not one that caught my fancy. Anyway with a children on the way I didn't have much extra money and read an article about the Jefferson series and full steps. Well I've been on the hunt ever since, I just love the series (though I wish it would end, time for all new designs) almost the entire series can still be had in BU condition for a few dollars each. Then I discovered the world of varities. I love the Buffalo nickels design and have a few MS 66 examples but sad to say the series in GEM BU condition is just beyond me
Nickel: The set in 66 is beyond most of us. i collect many Buffalos, mostly because of the great varieties that can be cherrypicked. Also, the Jeff's have a lot. So far I have cherried two or three 1939 DDR's a 1942 D/horizontal and others. In Buffs: I have gotten a 1935 DDR -- cherried, and a couple of other items. The series are ripe for picking.
The first coin that got me interested in the hobby, was a nickel with a big "P" on the tails side. Also, I've always admired Thomas Jefferson, and consider him one of the greatest men who ever lived. When I began collecting, buying collector coins was not an option. My coins had to either come from my own spare change, or had to be given to me by relatives. Saving anything other than cents and nickels, was not an option, either. Dimes and quarters had to be used for school supplies and such, which was just as well. About the time I started collecting, US coins had all gone to a clad composition, except for the nickel. I didn't like sandwich coins, or copper-clad zinc. Nickels were made of a solid metal, which appealed to me. Also, I never cared for Abraham Lincoln, so I never bothered to collect coins with his likeness on them. I guess that just about sums it up.
America's true treasure coin!! Nickelman's Post is awesome because I was JUST looking at these coins and read up a lot on them. The Jefferson and Buffalo nickels are really all about personal taste but both hold their own place in history and I am fond of them both. "Maybe change is good, maybe not, but the change in our pockets is never the same when it comes to five cent pieces." quoted from the link I posted. You can even buy both from the link that I posted up above
I started collecting Jefferson nickels because they were accessible. I could collect from change (still can and do!) or I could go after a high end fully struck set in MS. The possibilities are almost limitless and there are dates for which full steps aren't known to exist, so there is discovery to be done as well! I love nickels, but I wish that the design had not been hi-jacked by certain zealots. Rightly so, my brother pointed out to me that although the nickel design is now mandated to stay Jefferson and Monticello, an act of congress is all that would be required to change the design of the nickel. In other words, although the Sec. of the Treasury has the disgression to change any coin's design after 25 years, the secretary cannot change the nickel except to change to a new portrait of Jefferson or Monticello. Truthfully, I don't think it would happen without congress mandating it anyways, so the "land grab" of the nickel is more ceremonial than anything. It just kind of rubs me the wrong way is all... but that's a different thread.
You know, we sorta lost something about mid-century in the 1900's. We went from Indian head nickles to president nickles. Same with pennies. And you know, being a cowboy type here in the west, well, that is why I like my nickles. The Buffalo Nickles. Something about the old west. I run a native plants materials company so still live in wilderness part of the week working the fields. Buffalo Nickles - They are just incredible image of the old west. A west that is mostly gone today but still around in places... just like finding those occassional nickles.. -Ken
How come nobody mentions the shield nickels? Not even the article or site above. Those are what I like.
The United States five-cent coin, commonly called a nickel, is a unit of currencyUnited States dollar. equaling one-twentieth, or five hundredths, of a united states dollar.
What's great about nickels? - Well, you can buy the one or two key dates on a teenager budget. - You can still find many/most of the dates still in circulation. You can't do that with ANY other current denomination because wheaties are virtually 1 in 300 and I won't even get into silver for the dimes and quarters. - As earlier posters have noted - this series is ripe for picking out varieties and errors. It's overlooked. I am only talking about Jeffersons because I don't know much about the other nickels. But good points by posters on buffalo and shield nickels (seems like a good value to me).
I'll give you another example of why nickels. I'll try to give you the Reader's Digest version. This last June I hurt my back and wasn't able to work for a couple of months. ( Remember, I was around almost CONSTANTLY! ) I have 3 kids, 2 of them teenage daughters, so needless to say, I am not a rich man to begin with, and this was definately going to be a financial challenge. I decided that if I was going to collect anything for the immediate future it had to be at or near face value so I started a set of Jeffs from circulation. This week I was only able to get 2 rolls of nickels to search, and inside I found a 52-D and a 42-P war nickel! I also found a 62-D, but I didn't need that one! This has been a great way for me to still enjoy my hobby even on the strictest of budgets. My 2 additions to my book cost me a total of 10¢, and brought me a world of joy! That's why nickels!
