I was going through rolls of pennies and nickels that I got from my local bank. I found a super shiny 1991 s mint nickel in on of the rolls. I am very new to coin hunting/collecting and I have never had a hobby that I have been so excited about. But I also don't have much knowledge yet. From what I can tell, the 1991 s nickels were only made as proof coins. I am just wondering how common it is to find them in circulation? It is the nicest condition I have ever seen a coin in, especially one that's 23 years old. I also know the value will be dropped since it was found in circulation but that is the only way I look for coins so I think it is pretty neat. Thank you for any information you can give me!
Yes. "S" mint nickels were only proofs in that year. From what I recall, some business strike nickels were minted in San Francisco in 1970 and earlier (not all years), but none since then except proofs. Edit: Very cool find! I have kept a few of those myself. Can't seem to spend them ;-)
Proof nickels are quite rare to find in circulation, but I have found a fair number of the last 3 years of roll hunting nickels. I typically do $50-$100 per week in rolls and have found about 30 proof Jefferson nickels during this time. They range from 1963 to 2005 with most of them bunched in the late 1970s, mid 1980s and mid 1990s. They usually find their way into circulation through proof set thefts, unknowing heirs and/or purposely placed after a collector or dealer breaks up a proof set to get to potential high grade coins in the set and the nickels are just put back in circulation because 60s-present proof nickels don't have much aftermarket value outside of the government issued set packaging. So, it's better to get the face value out of the coin than have it sit around taken up space. Congrats on the find. It's not worth much, but is still a good find for five cents.
S mint cents were made for circulation up through 1974 I believe. Past then, only Proof or collector coins bear the S mint mark. I agree, someone stole someone's coin collection and spent it. Unfortunately, a common tale.
Here is the picture I promised to upload. I am still learning how to take good pictures of coins. I keep blocking all of my light source when I get close to the coin. The flash just makes it look worse. Any tips on that?
I am horrible at coin photography, but one thing I do know is never use a flash for coins. Only use other lighting sources. Since coins are usually shiny, a flash will always give you washed out results.
Get a simple desk lamp with an adjustable neck. Place the light source (imo with a 'natural light' bulb) close to the coin but offset to diffuse the light and close enough so the light is not blocked by the camera. Here is a simple one using a desk light and my phone:
