5 Reasons To Collect Jefferson Nickels

Here's my favorite Jefferson nickel error. It has soooo much going on!

Lots of struck through areas on both sides, loss of rims at K:12/K:5 and flat center on Jefferson's bust (adjustment strike?), Progressive Die Transfer on obv and rev all with really strong mint luster.

Hard to add to what the article said and the posts by members.
If anything, I would recommend collecting the pre Westward years with the obverse shown on my avatar first in mint state.
I have been collecting these for over 40 years.
Some of these old nickels have no real special eye appeal and then there are those that jump right out at you.
I think it is a beautiful series and am a big fan of Thomas Jefferson as a founding father.
I have a full step set, but of course, some, like the article states, are very rare. I don't have a full step with the 53S 54S 69D etc. but I do have nice examples with "some" steps that will have to do. Many are "full steppers" in higher mint state grades, a bunch are not often found with full steps very easily but my set includes some of those.

There's no real hard and fast rule to collecting but having looked a many nickels, sometimes you find a mixture like I have that compliment each other. Some have more eye appeal and others are unusually well struck for the issue.

A fun set to make up with my duplicates was in a 1938-1964 Capital Plastics holder. It is a very colorful pretty set with above average examples. I have a few 11 coin BU War Nickel sets in Capital Plastics holders too.

Pictures don't do justice but I suggest putting together this collection for anyone. You can't go wrong in the long run.


I thought that Jefferson nickels would have performed better over the 40 yeas I've been into them but a lot of other coins have done much better. If I sell off my collection, I bet that they would increase dramatically. I've been through that with some old type coins I sold and regretted it.

If you are referring to the image recently posted by Yokazuma, you may be seeing Progressive Indirect Design Transfer which is sometimes seen as a horseshoe shape in the field on the reverse of some uncirculated Jefferson nickels.
Not a die clash or damage.
http://www.error-ref.com/progressiv...gn-transfer/

@TNG Raised on rock was answering a question from Reclypso, found at the bottom of the first page, and not commenting on my coin. The image of the toned nickels shows a 2003-D Jefferson with the tell-tail circular mark from a Coin Wrapping Machine on the obverse.

I just happened to post my reply with the multi-error Jefferson between the replies. Sorry if my timing was bad. I didn't mean to confuse things.

I enjoyed the article and responses. I think the only obstacle to Jefferson's gaining more demand is they, like the Roosevelt dime, have humungous mintages and not the longevity of the Lincoln Cent (or iconic image of Lincoln). They are undervalued (only Roosevelt dimes are more undervalued in gem grade) and I agree finding a Jefferson nickel in Au or even XF prior to the Westward Journey nickels can be tough with finding MS tougher.

For me, I find nickels, along with most other coins a great series to search for nice examples in circulation. Except for the most current year, most are fairly worn but I have found a high XF 1982 P, a 1997 one with lovely cameo shades even with some scratches from wear. But other than that not much but it is fun searching as it is one of the few series you will come by clad 1940's and even a 1939 in circulation more often than you would with some other denominations.

I will say Jefferson Proofs are some of the msot beautiful coins in US numismatics - simple but reakky oretty if it is a high grade Proof.

Concur with the 5 reasons, but they just don't have the visual appeal as others such as the Buffalo nickel.

Cladking - Agree wholeheartedly. I just think when collectors seek a coin to pursue they see the gigantic mintages of Jefferson nickels for the past 70 years not realizing that there are quite a few years finding them in decent grades is a bit difficult even in Mint sets, never mind circulation. For example, I kept a 1982 Jefferson nickel that I would grade XF because I rarely see in my coin roll hunting (I only get at most 5 at a time but every one to two weeks) 1982 Jeff Nickels in this condition in circulation. Of course Mint sets technically you will find them all Uncs but as you note the quality of them can be mediocre or even poor.

One strategy I do now is for Lincoln cents and Jefferson nickels, I try and get a fresh Unc from a roll from the bank of the year's issue. 2021 has been a difficult one. But I do it for these two issues as the Jefferson nickels seems to get circulated quickly and drop quickly to AU (unless you luck into a bank roll of fresh Uncs) because collectors don't bother with them as much as other issues, the Lincoln cents due to spotting with each year varying in the degree of spotting. 2021 has been a rough year for these two series. Finally, the difficulty finding nice modern Jefferson nickels is the reason I get a Mint set every year. The only consolation is the quality has improved since the nadir in the late 60's through early 80's as all have full steps and a decent strike. Nevertheless, the current design of the Jefferson makes them prone to bagmarks and nicks from contact with other coins due to the number of open, unprotected fields, probably more so than the earlier designs.

As I may have written elsewhere, Jefferson nickels are not one of my main collecting areas, I treat it as a series to search in circulation at times and one of my many reason I get a Mint set annually from the US Mint.