in an attempt to fill some inherited jefferson nickel collections, i keep all 1959 and older i could find not knowing if they were worth anything. then i took out all the silver nickels and the key dates. should i just release the rest or hang on to some? i have around 500 average date coins
I've struggled with that same question. I think if you pulled them out of circulation, I would send them back into circulation.
Most of them are not. (Even if they are old, if they are circulated and common there's no market for a beat up 1940 or 1941 Philly. Spenders.) There are a few good Jefferson key and semi key dates, as well as the silver war nickels. Look at any price guide and you will know which ones to keep.
I went back-and-forth on this question a few years back. Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject: I hoarded a bunch of Nickels and Cents back in the 70s as a kid; I wasn't concerned about value as much as their being old (pre-1960). I'm glad I did because variety hunting wasn't as much of a thing back then and as a result, I had a stash of nickels to hunt through (looked for RPMs, DDOs, and DDRs along with the key/semi-keys mentioned by Michael) After searching for varieties, I released a bunch of them. Most aren't worth much over face value so it made sense. I kept the very best for each date/mm. I began hoarding my nickels and cents about 8 years back after resuming coin roll hunting after a few decades off. This time I kept the very best for each date/mm as I began to build a Jefferson Series roll collection. I use these for trading with other collectors for things I want, so it's a private inventory of stock to the greater degree. But I also like having a roll of nickels for each too. Varieties are discovered frequently; mostly for newer dates, but there are occasional discoveries for older dates/mm. That's when I'm glad I have a roll to search. Also, you will discover 'old news' and have stock to search. For instance, I learned about the Henning Nickels a few years back and I went through my rolls...and a bucket of pre-1960 nickels. In that bucket, I had a really worn 1939 nickel (Henning nickels look worn freshly coined, so finding a circulation Henning gave it that really worn appearance). Thankful for the hoard I re-accumulated. That's my most valuable Jefferson specimen. So, while I don't necessarily agree with the hoarding idea...it worked out for me. I have the intention to dump the hoard at some point, but I'm a variety nut so I'm holding onto them for the meantime. I also enjoy giving the bucket to youngsters getting started...they search the bucket to fill their empty spots. They are happy...and so am I. So anyway, maybe there is something there that can help you decide on what to do. Good luck on the hunt!!
