Speedy, I am sorry I did not see the 2nd picture in your post I am wrong big time on my post. I was way off after seeing that picture so I will just ride out out of town with my head down sorry.
Well it is graded by NGC as SP69! This is one of the Matte Nickels and I must say that it is NICE---I got the 1997 Matte Nickel at the same time with the same grade---with a mintage of only 25K its a low mintage for a mod. coin. NGC counts this as a Proof or like one so they don't count the Steps being full---now if I sent it to PCGS it would come back with a grade such as MS69FS SMS... glaciermi That looks like a pretty good deal on that---I paid around $225 for both coins---and when you look at ended auctions that is pretty cheap for both coins. Bruce No problem---if I had just looked at photos I also would have thought it was just an MS coin and not a matted "UNC" Speedy
I didn't even know they made matte nickels in 1994 and 1997...what was the story and were there any other years that these were minted?
Well since these coins were only issued in sets from the mint they are more of a Specimen than a normal coin--some call them matted UNC---some I've heard call them (and IMHO are wrong) call them matted proofs---and some call them SMS (PCGS for one) such as the 1965/1966/1967 Mint/SMS Sets....so the SP comes from the word Specimen---the grade is the same as MS---69. There is a good many coins that NGC grades as SP---but I don't recall them off the top of my head. Speedy
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...5937&rd=1&rd=1 crud.. was putting together my meager little disposable income to get one of these sets, and someone rides in with big pockets and buys all twenty. He also picked up all five of the 1997 sets he had. Did I mention I hate rich people
Its an MS 65 because of the Blemish under the I and to the left of the stairs. Also some blemish on the rim on the bottom right and its a complete FAKE! Jefferson NEVER SMILES! Ruben
Ah you just didn't know old Tom smiles----if you get a well struck one you can see him and that large smile--the reason he had that smile is because he was thinking about how luck he was that he was picked to be on the Nickel---and it is a coin that wasn't changed to clad! Speedy
SP= "Special "frosted" uncirculated pieces were included in the 1993 Thomas Jefferson commemorative packaging (sold in 1994) and the 1997 Botanic Garden sets. They resemble proof coins". Quote: from the Guide Book. However, obviously, they do not resemble proof coins, unless you include Satin Proofs.
It stands for Specimen - it's just a different designation that NGC uses for such pieces. The coin is not a business strike, so they don't use MS. It's not a Proof so they don't use PF. It's not a Special Mint Set ( as in the '65, '66, '67 sets ) so they don't use SMS. But the coin had a very low mintage and it has a different finish, (matte finish not brilliant or satin), so NGC uses the SP desigination for Specimen.
ms 66, My best guess based on photos. The rim on reverse noticably has some scratch marks. The steps on monticello dont look right, possibly not a full strike or die error. Jeffersons collar (botton above FS) looks to have some wear.