1960 Jefferson Proof Or Business?

I also have been scratching my head and looking online at others and I found the coin below online for sale and it was graded a MS66 by NGC and the rims are more like mine. I'm just not sure anymore it seems the more I try to figure it out the more I get confused.

I will default to considering it a Proof. The steps are hammered, and Full Steps Business Strike 1960-P's are among the rarest of all Jeffersons in that state. PCGS shows over a thousand grading events for 1960-P, and 20 FS coins. Moreover, you can assume some of those are crackouts since the retail value quadruples between 64 and 65.

For the record, there are no 1960-P Jeffersons higher than MS66 at PCGS either.

Nicely squared rims and the steps are killer.... Proof.

Unless I'm missing something, that nickel is dated 1961 not 1960

I sometimes find it necessary But everyone else was on board with 1960, so I thought maybe I was the one seeing things. Too bad about the haze, otherwise it would probably be easier to tell proof from a business strike. Having said that, what I have learned about Jefferson nickels from this site makes me say proof based on the reverse.

Rims....? All I see are those steps! Wowie!

nicrob42 1961 is a proof. Not the most expensive Jefferson proof so there is no big deal it has some issues. Easy enough to replace. There are quite a few different doubled dies for 1961 proofs so look closer, it might make for a better coin if you find some true doubling on it.
The flat rims are always a clue, but the flat field to the inner rim is the way to tell if it is proof.
The slabbed 1960 one is not, the obverse is obviously a business strike.
Look at the slabbed obverse particularly at the word IN and on the obverse at UNITED on the reverse where the field is curved up toward the rim.

I would point out that in the center of Jeffersons, the front door area and on the obverse the jaw and collar on his coat will sometimes show what looks to be scratches from contact or "bag marks".
I am convinced that these are often just leftover imperfections on the blank planchets.



Nickels are pretty hard coins and the pressure of the dies does not completely smooth out all these little imperfections on a fresh off the dies coin.
I think that might be why the MS66 nickel gets the grade despite what you see there on Jefferson's jaw and under the roof on the reverse over the pillars.
I think, the coin graders know this about coins, that they distinguish the difference between contact marks and planchet flaws.

So when you shop for a graded coin, or cherry pick from an uncirculated roll, you may find one with these marks where they are usually found, or you'll find nicks and bag marks and hits from the coins coming in contact with other coins in the bins and rolling machines. It might interest a fussy collector to look at these marks under high magnification and learn to tell the difference. They are not scratches. Which would you rather have? I'd rather have one that is without either and sharply struck myself.

The 65 66 and 67 will be difficult for a lot of us. If they are in the least circulated, I would not worry about whether they are circulated or SMS coins.