First post here guys. Been searching through rolls about the past month just from bits and pieces I've learned via the internet. This site is great by the way. I apologize as I'm sure this has been asked SOMEWHERE before but the info here is overwelming to a newbie. My question is about nickels. I know that 1942-1945 with the mint mark above the building (montecello?) on the back are the 'silver' or 'war' nickels and I should go after those. I'm also aware of the low print runs for any nickel (or dime for that matter) from 2009 so keep those if I find them. Obviously buffalo heads as well are collectible. and 1950-d. (haven't found even 1 of those) but I was wondering about the jefferson nickels with the 's' insignia? I've read they are from silver proof sets, but yet they are not silver? Is this correct? Are they something worth keeping? I have some that are very very shiny. 1969, 1970, 1980 I believe... maybe one more will have to check but I do know for a fact I pulled a 1980 s that is EXTREMELY shiny, as well as a 1970 s that's pretty bright as well. For those of you who care... in sorting approximately $400-$500 I'm guessing of nickels, I've found 3 buffalo heads, 7 war nickels, and 6 from 2009... now these shiny s coins are coming along (and still no 1950d either) and I'm not sure. Am I missing out on anything else I should be looking for as well? Thanks for reading guys!
:welcome: E Burna, Those 50-D's will be hard to find in circulated rolls in the present times, let alone when I was looking for them 50 years ago as a boy. So several weeks ago, I made a boyhood fantasy come true. I bought a complete (40 coins) Unc. roll. :yes: Hope some of your nickel dreams come true :smile Also, another fantasy, the 3 Legged Buffalo
The San Francisco mint only made proofs and commemorative coins after 1974. So if a coin with an S mintmark is 1975 or later, it's a proof. I don't believe any proof nickels have silver; the only reason war nickels do is because the nickel was needed for the war so the mint added silver.
There's a 1942 war nick proof that has silver in it, but don't expect to see one of those in a roll. To the OP, your 1980 S is a proof, handle it with care, use normal techniques (hold by the edge, etc). EDIT: Also, to the OP: Are you into coins? Or are you just trying to stack silver? Because if you're into collecting coins, there's some Coin 101 that you should try to pick up. How to identify a proof, proper terms like mirrored fields/cameo instead of "very very shiny" and mintmark instead of "insignia." A redbook is the next thing you should purchase. And if you're into collecting, it might behoove you to learn about grading Jeffs, FS, etc, and fill a folder or album (or begin to). With all that said, welcome aboard!
$20.5k later and it's still one of two I'm missing. The other is the '39-D. You don't know how lucky you are.
Wow thanks for all the advice especially Lon Chaney thank you. So the 1980 is a proof SWEET! lol. What would something like that be 'worth' in comparison to the 2009s and war nickels? It's not perfect as it has a little scratch on it but is still very shiny. (sorry I know I need to learn the terms). I'm extremely new to collecting and not sure how *serious* I want to get. I bought my daughter a metal detector and it's been something we've done together just kind of for fun but is a bit addicting as well.
I wouldn't expect much value from an impaired proof. Modern proofs that aren't damaged or circulated are quite abundant, and most folks would much rather have one of the many undamaged proofs than one of the few that slipped into circulation. However, it's not a throwback either. I've found a lot of Kennedy proofs (and a few nickel proofs) and I just throw them in a 2x2 and slip them into my binder. Cool to have, but not really worth selling (unless maybe if you were selling a roll of them or something like that).
Thanks again Lon... another quick question... I thought 'proof' meant NEVER touched by human hands and in an airproof type seal so that no aging/damage EVER happens to the coin... correct? I'm aware that someone must have broken open a case and taken the 'proof' and just spent it (WHY???) but what I'm asking is do the proof coins stay immaculate as I was under impression? Is it forever? Also would a proof coint that was removed and touched and say for instance placed in a binder and never touched again stay 'proof' or would it be lesser over time and start to deteriate over time?
"Proof" just means a special collector's edition of a coin, usually made with better quality than one intended for general circulation. It doesn't have anything to do with the actual condition. For example, both of these are proof 1988 S pennies.
I've been lucky to find a couple 39 D's and S's, but like Merc said, those 50-d's are a toughie to find in a roll. It will happen, just keep plugging along!
Proofs come from the mint in a proof set: Yes, they are in a "case," so to speak. But they're not too hard to break open. In fact, many collectors do break them open to put the coins in their albums, binders, wherever they fit in their collection. Dealers may also break them open too, to sell the coins the coins separately. My theory as to how they end up in circulation: The set was opened by somebody, and the coins put into a collection. Some may have been discarded (spent) by the collector because they were accidentally damaged. And some may have been spent or whatever by somebody who doesn't know the significance (a child, deceased collector's spouse/children, robber, anybody).
