The Blue Nickel..

Wow, that blue toning is funky.

Very Cool !!

I believe you guys are showing the "black beauty" nickels or the preludes to them, that came out in the late 50's and early 60's. One theory, the one I believe, is that the mint was reusing their planchet wash or not changing it often enough and it turned planchets all sorts of colors.

"Purple Haze all around,
don't know if I'm coming up or down.
Am I happy or in misery?
Whatever it is, that girl put a
spell on me."
Purple Haze--Jimi Hendricks

Believe it or not Jimi Hendricks managed to make
26 jumps with 101st Airborne before breaking
his ankle.

If this link will work here's something from Mike Diamond. He's writes a lot articles for Errorscope. I still like the bad rinse theory myself. There seems to be a lot of cents and nickels from the 50's struck from worn dies which leads me to believe the mint was on some kind of economy drive back then. It wouldn't be surprising if they were over using their rinses.
http://groups.google.com/group/rec....398b822be683