Hi All I have this overall really beautiful 1938 Nickel - But it's got a hit on the cheek. Just wondering for education sake what that does to grade? (This isn't worth getting graded even under best of circumstances - just wondering for the sake of learning something)
Check the marks closely when on the jaw line of Jeffersons. It could be a planchet flaw that did not fully strike out. That area is notorious on this series as being rough. It may or may not lessen the grade depending on what it is (pmd or not) and how severe.
The mark pointed at by the arrow is a planchet mark, and, as @Razz says, common since nickel is hard and these don't always get hammered out during striking. The other mark looks like you could take another nickel and fit the corner of the edge exactly into the mark. This still probably happened at the mint. Edit: My first picture did not have the arrow, although I had put it on using an editor. Didn't notice at first. @Islander80-83 's next comment must have made it into that tiny window before I corrected it.
I have seen coins like this is in PCGS plastic with gem grades and I even started a very contentious thread about this topic many years ago (linked below). Should a significant mark in a prime focal area prevent a gem grade? The real question is, what is the grade of this coin without that mark? There is still another significant mark to the right of the large window on Monticello, some small ticks throughout, and the toning is such that it appears hazy and impairs the overall luster of the coin just a tad. Without the mark, I would grade this coin high MS65, maybe low MS66. I also think that the step detail is extremely good and that coin is very close to full steps although I think sadly, it just misses. When you factor in such a prominent mark in the focal area of the obverse, I would agree with @TheFinn that it drops the grade of the coin from MS65 to MS64.
The steps are REALLY close. We got a little usb microscope at work. I may bring it home over the holiday and I’ll take more pics!
There are a dozen breaks in the steps. But I was seriously thinking from 65 to 64 and then I read TheFinn's post.
The issue with iPhone cameras is when you zoom in it fills in pixels. The steps are cleaner than THAT but I don’t think FS either
Don’t forget that the steps in 1938 are quite different from subsequent years. You can use @Lehigh96 ’s thread The FS (Full Step) Designation for Jefferson Nickels Defined (PHOTOGRAPHICALLY) to see what they look like when they are full. As the saying goes, they are better than they look!
Those steps are terrific. The minor bridging throughout does not disqualify the coin from full steps as all reverse of 38s have such bridging. What does disqualify it is that the 5th step is not complete.
